Killing Persephone
by EmmaFoxglove
Summary: A retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth in which Demeter may be placed in a better-or at least more understood- light than she oftentimes is, where Hades is not always kind and Persephone not all that rebellious. But all three of them do get their worlds turned upside down when a chance encounter brings them crashing into each other's lives.
1. Chapter 1

Hades

Darkness surrounded me like water, thick and cool. I could barely make out the ground ahead of me as I made my way towards camp. Though it was a dark night, it was not the darkest darkness I had ever walked through. Memories of racing through pitch black caverns and falling through voids so empty light could never shine flickered across my mind's eye. Wincing at the painful memories I shook my head to clear them away. Opening my eyes I tilted my head back to look at the smattering of silver stars shining down upon me. They gave just enough light to see by and I could now make out the camp up ahead, the low fire casting shadows of my family as they walked around. As I came closer I could hear low voices speaking to each other. They were more cheerful than usual, the upcoming victory making us all nearly giddy with joy and relief. And of course the newest addition to our ranks had given us all a distraction from hard times.

"It's me Epimetheus." I called out as I drew near. I could not see the Titan as he stood guard but I knew he was there. I also know that it was never a good idea to walk around in the dark without announcing yourself unless you wanted a spear in your neck. Somewhere off to my right I heard him give a grunt of acknowledgement and I walked into the ring of firelight.

My family sat in a loose ring around the campfire. Others sat among them, mostly nymphs and nature spirits with a few Titans here and there. Prometheus, brother of Epimetheus, poked at the fire with a stick, his chin resting on his knee as he gazed into the flames. He did not stir as I dropped my load of dry branches and tinder next to him. My sister, Hestia, glanced up and met my gaze. Smiling her smirky smile she patted the round beside her. I moved to join her, passing Poseidon leaned back against a rock, cleaning his sword, ignoring the nymph who chattered next to him. Settling down next to my one older sibling, I wrapped my arms around my knees. Hesti yawned loudly and situated herself so that she was leaning against me, her head on my shoulder.

"I worried about you, out there in the dark by yourself." She said. Staring into the flickering yellow flames. It was a moment before I spoke.

"It's almost over." I murmured. I didn't have to explain what I was referring to. The war against my father and his brothers had been our only waking thought these last ten years. The idea that those years of fighting and the thousand years of imprisonment before that would be coming to an end in just a matter of weeks was almost unfathomable. I felt like a child trying to count the number of stars in the heavens, the very wonder of it all was crushing in and of itself.

"I know." She said softly, her tone as stunned as mine. We sat in silence after that, each lost in our own thoughts when we were interrupted by a tiny squeal. Looking up, I saw the commotion on the other side of the fire where Zeus sat with our sister Demeter, holding their newborn daughter in his arms. Something had woken the little girl up from her nap and her father was trying –unsuccessfully – to calm her again. Maternal devotion burning in Demeter's eyes, my younger sister managed to get a hold of her child, bringing her close to her body to nurse. Finding the milk, Little Persephone's cries vanished, replaced by loud sucking noises that made Zeus laugh. Demeter smiled down at her baby, carefully smoothing her wayward curls. Her dark eyes were filled with such tender adoration that I smiled in spite of myself.

"Demeter's daughter will grow up in a very different world than the one we did, won't she Hades?" Hestia mused, watching our younger siblings fawn over Persephone.

"Indeed she will."

"An odd name to give her though, Persephone." Hestia frowned to herself. "That such a sweet, pretty little thing should be called 'Destroyer of Light'."

"She was born on the day we defeated Hyperion." I reminded her. And what a day that had been. Hyperion, the Titan of Light, father of the sun and the moon, was a proud and ferocious opponent. Battling him was a long and bloody business of which we eventually rose victorious. Upon our return Zeus was informed that Demeter had borne his firstborn child, a daughter. After he overcame the shock of not siring a son, he nevertheless proceeded to give her a name that fairly taunted his enemies and would never let them forget their brother's shameful defeat.

"I know, but it still seems strange. Demeter calls her Kore sometimes. That does seem more appropriate you must admit. Persephone feels too large a name for such a small creature to wear as her own." I smiled at her logic.

"She will not always be so small." Hesti smiled as well then grew serious again.

"Let us hope not. But you must remember that it's not over yet Hades. No matter how close we are it is the Fates who will decide who survives this war." Her words were like cold water. I shuddered against the hopelessness that failure would bring upon us all. Choosing to not think too hard on that tonight, I tried to make her smile again.

"Well then sister," I said merrily, pretending to raise a goblet in a toast, "Let us hope then that the Fates will smile upon our cause, and allow us all the chance to see Little Persephone grow into her name."


	2. Chapter 2

Persephone

_(A thousand years later)_

The mid-afternoon sun was still baking the earth when I saw the eagle.

Sitting by myself on a hilltop near Nysa I was braiding a rope out of the tall grass when the shadow flew over. Squinting against the brilliant light of the cloudless sky I recognized the broad wing span of my father's emblem soaring above me. The golden eagle was huge, and even from where I was sitting I could make out the metallic shimmer of its beak and claws. Shading my eyes I tried to see if anything flew behind it and was rewarded by the sight of a dark smudge on the horizon and the unmistakable gallop of a winged horse. Grinning, I leapt up, rope forgotten, and ran towards my mother's tents.

The tall hill overlooked the valley where our caravan was staying for the barley harvest. Half a dozen tents were arranged in a loose circle, nymphs moving among them. I didn't see my mother so I assumed she was in her tent resting, just as the field laborers did during the hottest part of the day. Up ahead I saw the eagle's shadow slowly circling the camp and I pushed my legs to go faster. Excitement filled me, making my heart leap in my chest, my smile widening as I saw the eagle begin his descent.

"It's him." I whispered to myself, puffing. "It's father! And he's brought them with him!" Breaking the circle of the tents I watched as the bright-eyed bird transformed into the tall man right before its talons touched the earth. My father had little more than a second to get his bearings before I tackled him from the side, my arms around his waist.

"Baba!" I exclaimed. Oh it had been so long since I had seen him! The sudden impact of my arrival had made him stagger, but my enthusiasm seemed to please him. Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"If you were an enemy I would be dead." He laughed. Flushing, I pulled back a little, embarrassed by my warmth. Baba didn't let me go far. Touching my face, he smiled at me, his pale hair windblown, eyes the same light color as the sky. "Persephone, my sweet, how are you?"

"Quite well." I said and then remembered my manners. Bobbing a curtsy I added "my lord." His smile widened.

"And where is your dear mama? Still out hacking away at the wheat?" I was not able to correct him before a voice sounded from behind us.

"No, I'm afraid not." Turning, we saw Momma coming out of the tent she and I shared. "But that is not entirely my fault as wheat won't be ripe for another three weeks. Honestly Zeus, your lack of knowledge about these things is embarrassing."

Baba was not put out by this, in fact he seemed not to have heard her at all. Beaming, he stretched out his arms to my mother, striding over to her. "Demeter my dear, it has been too long. But here you are looking as lovely as ever." Turning pink, Momma swatted him away before he could embrace her.

"Oh you –" She laughed, pushing him back again as he tried to kiss her cheek. "Zeus! Oh you will never change!"

"And you would not want me if I did. It's good to see you again, sister."

"Are the girls with you?" She asked, smiling as she caught sight of me. Beckoning me closer, she placing me in front of her, wrapping her arms around me from behind. Baba nodded, squinting to the East where I had spotted the pegasus.

"Yes, they wanted to tag along. It's been nearly two years since they last saw their baby sister." He reached over and ruffled my hair before I could duck away.

"I'm not a baby." I protested the same time that Momma exclaimed. "Persephone is older than both of them." Zeus looked slightly embarrassed at that.

"Oh, er yes. So she is." And he gave me such a strange look, as if he were seeing me for the first time that I was suddenly self-conscious. The seconds stretched out uncomfortably until Momma cleared her throat. He blinked, coming back us. Momma changed the subject.

"We should go inside until the others arrive. You could tell your son to lessen the heat wave Brother. It's like an oven out in the fields." Turning, she parted the tent flaps, inviting us into the cool dimness within.

"I would if he'd listen. Apollo does as he chooses. Most days he does not even ride in the chariot, he just pushes the responsibility onto Helios while he goes off hunting. After all the heads I had to bash to give him his seat in the skies he could be a little more grateful…."

Things were more interesting when my sisters arrived. Athena and Artemis were welcome additions to our family circle. It was a novelty to be around anyone who was not my mother or one of her handmaidens, and my sisters were especially nice. Athena was a few years younger than myself, taller and –I believed- more graceful. She had inherited her mother Metis' startlingly serious gray eyes and our father's slender athletic build. Artemis' mother had never been married to Zeus but of the three of us she was the most like him. Wild and unruly, matrons groaned when they saw her coming. She loved to race though, and knew all sorts of interesting things. It was she who first told me about the ways of a man with a woman. She had been attempting to persuade me into her belief of eternal maidenhood and at the time I was so appalled that it had very nearly worked. Momma had been furious when I told her and had tried to explain things in a gentler light than my sister. Afterwards, I had decided to hold off a little before making any vows of celibacy, at least for now. I still liked to keep Artemis around just in case there were other unspeakable topics that I might need to know about.

We all went for a walk together over the beautiful hills of Nysa. Several of my mother's nymphs attended us, carrying cold meats and honey cakes for us to eat if we felt like it. We passed the barley fields half stripped of their crop, my parents pausing so that Momma could explain how the harvesting worked. Soon losing interest, Artemis dared me to a race across the field. She was already running before the words were even out of her mouth. Exclaiming at the unfairness, I took out after her.

Though she had been confident of a victory, Artemis had not taken into consideration our terrain. The ground was a prickly maze. Stubble from the barley stuck up in the air like needles, making it nearly impossible to for a person accustomed to cool grassy forests to run. My own feet were toughened from so often walking barefoot and I soon overtook her, much to her outrage.

Reaching to the far side of the field I slowed to wait for her.

"You're a good runner." A voice noted from behind me. Startled, I turned to see Athena leaning against a tree. She smiled at me, her hair slightly mussed, slipping out of its chignon.

"I didn't see you running" I huffed, trying to catch my breath. Her smile turned cunning.

"No, I suppose you didn't. I'd guess your attention was otherwise employed chasing down our little fool over there." She tilted her head towards Artemis, still trying to pick her way across the needle-like stubble. "Others might have seen that the better choice would be to simply go around the edge of the field. The distance may be greater, but one can achieve much higher speeds." She snorted a laugh as Artemis stepped wrong, lost her balance and toppled over with a yelp. I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand and turning away, lest her wrath be poured out when she finally made it to where I was. I looked at Athena. It was so strange to think that she was younger than I was. Her serene countenance seemed to belong to a much older goddess.

"A pity we are not all as wise as you." I teased. Her gray eyes turned derisive, her smile fading.

"Yes, a pity. A pity that common sense is bestowed on so few." Her gaze flitted across the field to where Momma stood next to our father. He gestured to something in the distance and I could just make out her mouth moving as she answered him. When it came to her crops my sweet quiet Momma became a well-spring of knowledge and could talk for hours on the smallest subject. I could see that passion stirred up now as she spoke to Baba, using her hands to illustrate some point she was making. It was obvious to anyone how much she loved the earth she so carefully tended, how lovingly she nurtured the plants from seedtime to harvest. Warmth filled my chest as I watched her. She was so beautiful and compassionate. I wondered, as I often had, why my father had chosen to leave her and take Metis and then Hera as his wives. Metis hadn't lasted long and my aunt Hera, though she was beautiful, was a rather chilly, domineering person. Neither of them could hold a candle to my Momma with her gentle ways and lovely face. She often told me that she was not bitter at my father for moving on. That she loved me more than she could any man, but still I wondered.

Athena narrowed her eyes at my parents, her mouth thinning. It was then that Artemis finally reached us. Her face was flushed, dark eyes flashing with frustration. Whipping her hand back, she pulled an arrow out of the quiver strapped to her back and let it fly with a wild screech. The arrow sailed away from us, impaling a dead tree a hundred feet away. Breathing heavily she glared as it trembled to stillness after the impact. Athena watched her with an air of serenity before calmly turning away. Giving one last glance at the goddess of the hunt I hurried after her.

Athena strode confidently across the uneven ground, her flowing peplos hitched up so it wouldn't get dusty. My own chiton was shorter, only reaching my mid calves, mimicking those of the local peasant women. It wasn't as pretty as what the Olympians wore, but it was much easier to work in. Artemis still wore the childlike tunic that barely reaching to her knees. I was grateful that Momma had finally allowed me to wear longer dresses, it would have been humiliating to have to wear children's clothing.

"I'm glad we got to come today," Artemis said, slowly recovering her good humor. "It's nice to finally get away from her majesty's carping for a while. I swear if I have to sit through one more lecture on the company I keep I'm going to take one of my arrows and -"

"Before you finish that sentence Arti, maybe you should take a moment to consider our queen's advice." Athena didn't' look back as she spoke, but her tone was disapproving.

"There is nothing wrong with spending time with Orion! He would never hurt me!" My eyes widened at Artemis' sudden passion.

"I never said he would, but that doesn't change the fact that people are beginning to talk." Artemis rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"What's to talk about? We hunt together. We're hunters. That's what we do."

"What's to talk about?" Athena demanded in disbelief. I was beginning to feel like they'd had this argument before. "The virginal goddess of the moon spends more time trekking through the wilderness alone with a giant than she does with her own maidservants and you're wondering what people _will have to talk about_?"

Artemis brushed away her words. "Oh let them talk, who cares? It's hardly the juciest rumor on the Mountain."

"And your brother?" Athena asked pointedly. Artemis frowned.

"Apollo is just being a baby. He'll get past it soon enough." Athena snorted derisively.

"Of course he will."

I was completely lost. "Um, whose Orion?" I asked.

"Nobody." Artemis said immediately, tone curt. Athena laughed bleakly and gave me a more satisfying answer. Sort of.

"An admirer of Arti's. Some might say he's her greatest admirer."

"Don't be stupid Athena." Artemis growled. Athena ignored her. I pondered this for a moment, glancing between them both. Finally I felt a smile tug at the corner of my mouth. I had to know.

"Is he handsome?" They answered at the same time.

"No!" Artemis exclaimed, blushing.

"Very." Athena's voice was deadpan. I stood in between them, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. This was obviously a sore topic, but I was at a loss on how to change it without being blatantly obvious.

Thankfully, Artemis chose to leave us then, deciding on a whim to go look for wild honey. Neither of us tried to stop her and soon she was bounding away. Athena looked after her, biting her lip.

"Oh Arti." She whispered, shaking her head. I watched her, wondering exactly what was going on between the two of them. Catching my eye she smiled ruefully.

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Oh it's nothing." I said quickly, my curiosity still raging. Her smile grew, seeing it plain on my face.

"You want to know why I disapprove." It wasn't a question. Athena had a way of seeing through people, knowing their intentions. Slightly abashed but still interested I nodded. Sighing again she turned us back the way we had come, tugging her skirt up off the dusty ground.

"Orion is a giant?" I prompted her after the silence lengthened. She nodded, squinting into the distance.

"Yes, one of Poseidon's brood. He's nice enough by himself I'll admit it. He's Intelligent. Respectful. I agree with Artemis that he would never willfully pose a threat to his goddess."

"_His_ goddess?" I hadn't failed to notice the possessive way she'd said it. She smiled outright this time.

"Yes. Orion is a skilled huntsman and one of the best archers I've ever seen. Still, he pays tribute to Arti, publicly proclaiming how good she is with a bow. Needless to say, Artemis likes the attention." I thought about how my high strung little sister always needed to be the best at everything and smiled. No wonder she liked him.

"But you don't want him around her." I noted. Athena pressed her lips together, thinking how to answer.

"No." She finally answered. "And for more than one reason. First of all I have to agree with the Queen of Heaven." Her lips curled as she said the title and I knew that it must go against the grain to agree with Hera about anything. "It _is_ unseemly that a girl who professes eternal celibacy is running across the country side with a giant. But that's not the only reason."

"What else is there?" I wondered.

"Well for one thing her brother despises him. Apollo's always been jealous of his sister's affection and I fear some harm will come to Orion if Artemis keeps showing her favoritism towards him. But my main concern is politics."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you heard about all the fighting going on back home?" By "back home" I assumed she meant Mount Olympus. I shook my head. We were usually to busy with the crops to pay attention to politics.

"Well, let's just say that our father and his brother haven't gotten along in a while. It just keeps getting worse and now Father is worried about war." I froze mid-stride, my blood turning to ice in my veins.

"War?" I whispered hoarsely. It was suddenly hard to breathe. "Which brother?" I asked after another tense moment.

"Poseidon. He's never been perfectly content with his lot and he keeps trying to cause trouble for Zeus. Father thinks that if we had some sort of alliance between the two households it might give Poseidon pause before he does something rash." Athena didn't sound convinced. I agreed. Ever since I was tiny I had heard stories of my parents and their siblings fighting against the Titans. Poseidon's physical strength was legendary, almost as legendary as his tempestuous rages and shifting moods. 'Rash' described his personality perfectly. Still, he was better than the alternative. I imagined my father trying to fight his eldest brother and shuddered. Then her earlier words dawned on me.

"Wait, an alliance? You aren't saying that Baba wants Artemis to marry Orion?" Her jaw clenched.

"He would find it convenient if that were to happen." My mouth fell open. It was a moment before I could even speak. Shaking it off I tried to reason away her words.

"But it was Baba who told Artemis that she would never have to marry! He promised her!" Athena glanced over at me, her somber gray eyes taking me in. She smirked humorlessly.

"You really don't know much about politics do you Persephone?" Her words were accusing but her voice was kind. I blushed.

"I guess I never needed to." I muttered.

"I envy you. Sometimes it feels like I'm just a game piece on a board, being shoved around by beings more powerful than I am." Athena stopped suddenly, taking a deep breath the calm herself. I waited. Some of the frustration left her eyes after a few minutes. She continued.

"Yes Father promised Artemis that she would never have to marry. And he'd meant it at the time. But things have changed since then. Now he's just trying to ward off a battle with his brother. Orion is one of Poseidon's favorite sons. And Father's always worried that Artemis made her decision to early, that she should have waited before taking such a big step."

"So he's throwing Poseidon's son at her." I said dully. I still could barely believe any of it. "Does he really believe that will hold off the god of the sea?"

"Marriage contracts hold a lot of weight, but in this case I wouldn't put much faith in it. Poseidon is to unpredictable, to willful to be put off that easily."

I tried to imagine Artemis as a married woman and failed to picture it. "She would never agree." I stated firmly.

"If she has a choice." Athena replied blackly. We were quiet after that, my good mood in tatters.

We were nearly back to the camp when Artemis rejoined us. Athena had warned me not to mention what we had discussed to anyone and I kept my mouth shut. She hadn't found any honey but she was much happier than when she left us. Just listening to her lifted me out of my bad mood and I chose to put all bad thoughts behind me. Athena had to be wrong, Baba would never force one of his daughters to marry someone for political security.

When we got back to camp we met my parents sitting outside our tent, speaking to each other. Sitting down with them we told what we had been doing since we left them - leaving out one major detail.

The camp was busy with activity, the twenty or so nymphs in my mother's retinue preparing for nightfall. One of them came by with a platter of fruit for us. She served Zeus first, leaning over him as she offered him the tray. He grinned up at her as he plucked a few grapes, his blue eyes dancing. The girl blushed prettily and cast her eyes down.

"Cassia." Momma spoke firmly, "I would like some of that as well." Turning even redder, Cassia hurried away from Baba to present the tray to her mistress. Barely glancing at it Momma took a pomegranate.

"That will be all Cassia." Dismissed, the dryad scurried away.

"Persephone." I glanced away from the guilty nymph back to my mother. She was smiling again. "The king has an idea -"

Baba cut in. "How would you like to have a festival thrown for your Momma, sweet one?"

"What, really?" I asked in surprise, hardly able to believe I had heard him right.

"Of course," he answered, shrugging. "Demeter has been telling me how well this year's harvest has turned out, and I think we should give credit where credit is due." He grinned at Momma, making her cheek bones turn a lovely shade of pink. I was a bit envious. Whenever I blushed it looked like I had a horrible sunburn. "Besides," he continued after a moment "It's high time you took your turn in the limelight Persephone. Both Artemis and Athena came out centuries ago. You should get to have a little fun." He winked at me. I returned his smile until I saw my mother's face. She was smiling as well but I could see something was bothering her. I was instantly concerned, but Baba and the girls soon drew my thoughts away from her with their plans for the festival. There are few things Olympians like more than a party, and this one was soon prophesied to be the greatest event of the year.

"You will shine, little one." Baba said as he rose to take leave with the others. "Who knows but we might have a husband for you by the end of the night."

"Don't be silly milord." Momma scolded him. "Persephone is far wise to think of such things." Zeus raised his eyebrows incredulously.

"Fates have mercy on us all. Do I have another daughter who thinks herself to good for the company of men?" Both of my sisters groaned, rolling their eyes as they climbed onto the magnificent winged stallion. I went crimson, feeling like I should answer him somehow but not knowing what to say.

"It is no concern of yours if you do." Momma said coolly. "But I warn you Zeus, I will not have my daughter made into some sort of spectacle. She may attend this festival and hopefully she will get to enjoy herself, but she is not to be ogled at like some sort of pet monkey you let loose in your garden." I glanced at Momma in surprise. I had never heard her speak like that. Baba was also surprised and quickly protested.

"My eldest daughter is not expected to act like a monkey. I'm just pointing out the obvious fact that her face is not the kind that can be overlooked. Everyone will be admiring her-"

Momma raised her hand, effectively cutting him off. "Just as long as we understand each other." Some of Momma's sternness faded and she went to tell her nieces good bye. We waved as they flew away back to their beautiful mountain, knowing that we would meet again in just a few weeks for the festival.


	3. Chapter 3

Hades

A world of darkness. It was hard not to laugh at the irony of it all. Ten years of fighting to be free from a world of darkness and despair only to rise victorious and be crowned king of another dark and despairing realm.

I'd worked to rise above my bitterness, learned to see the benefits of my situation. Though I had been dealt a hard hand I could not honestly say that it was the losing one. This place, the Other Side was a strange world when compared to the one I was born in, but in some ways it made much more sense. All crimes were punished swiftly and fairly, the good were rewarded and the evil were brought low. There was a strong sense of balance here, everything working together in perfect harmony which suited me very well.

And I had to admit that this place had a certain beauty about it. The roof above glittered faintly with gemstones embedded in the rock. Poplar and cypress trees dotted the landscape of the plateau, growing more densely near the rivers. Mountainous pillars of stone, as wide around as cities held the roof aloft, the center pillar having been excavated to create the royal palace.

The palace itself was a work of art. The roofs of the outer buildings were sheathed in gold and the design of the rooms had be the work of gods. But though there was great beauty it was shrouded by the dim half-light of Erebus that could not be banished by a thousand lamps.

I was thinking about the darkness as I stood on my balcony looking out over the plateau that was my kingdom. In the distance I could see the greenish light of the boatman's lantern bobbing up and down, lighting the way across the black water of the great River Styx. It cast just enough light to keep Charon away from catastrophe as he wove around the sharp rocks. There were other lights scattered across the plain, flickering weakly in the eternal twilight. The occasional shimmer of silver gave away a wandering soul, aimlessly meandering from light to light.

Heaving a sigh, I tilted my head back to look at the sky. Sometimes I liked to pretend that those far off jewels were actually stars, that I was back in the world of the living, walking through the woods again, the soft wind in my hair, night creatures chirping around me. Right now though I was too aware of my surroundings to imagine better things. The darkness that had seemed so peaceful in the land above now seemed to be crushing the life out of me. Sometimes I found it hard to breathe, the stagnant darkness filling my nose and throat, choking me. It was imaginary of course, but the effect this place had on a man's mind was all too real.

That choking sensation seemed to be happening less and less as the years went on, and now I believed that I was all but immune to the Underworld. That's what worried me the most. That I was becoming as cold and dead inside as the world around me.

"Milord," I gritted my teeth - a habit - at the sound of the voice interrupting my thoughts.

"What?" I hissed through my teeth, already knowing the answer.

"The reception is in an hour milord." my servant's voice quavered behind me, afraid of angering me, afraid I would lose my temper. As he should be. "Do- would you like me to draw your bath sire?" I sighed, closing my eyes against my responsibilities. What would happen if I told him no? That I did not want a bath drawn or to be dressed in royal linen and golden jewelry. What if I just sent him away and went on standing out here wallowing in my own self-pity? No one would stop me, no one would even mention my social transgression. I was the king, and the king could do whatever he wanted.

But not if he wanted to keep his empire together.

Heaving another sigh I decided to make a sacrifice for my realm.

"Yes, draw a bath Tetheus. I'll be right in." Hearing his footsteps recede I opened my eyes to see my 'stars' again. It was time to pay a visit to the world of the living, my imagination was nearly out of fuel

The water was very hot on my skin as I sat back in the black marble basin. Wincing, I tried to relax, letting the water do its work on my tense muscles. Laying my head back on the rim, I stared at nothing as I thought about the upcoming night.

It was the Ninth Turning, the one time every nine years when the entire court would present themselves to their king and re-pledge fealty to him. It was supposed to be a sign of the highest honor to me, the Lord of the Underworld. If I could only believe that any of their pledges were sincere I might feel more enthusiasm for the event. Oh, I knew they meant what they said about their devotion to me. They swore undying servitude - because they were afraid. I also knew that if they ever stopped being afraid of me, if they ever saw the chance to replace me with one of their own, their oaths would mean little. They would be punished for breaking their vow of course-to break a vow given on the River Styx meant ten years of starvation and suffocation- But I knew that for many of them that would mean little if they could see the Underworld out of the hands of an Olympian.

As it was, I foresaw little enjoyment in the upcoming night. Rising out of the water, I took the cloth Tetheus held out for me, wrapping it around my mid-section.

I let him chose what I was to wear - a dark floor length chiton that would be completely in my way when I walked. What I was to adorn myself with - Teteus would let me out of my chamber with nothing less than a gold chain hung with a ruby pendant and a ring. And how I should wear my hair -pulled back out of my face, the one decision we both could agree upon. The only part of my dress that I did by myself was place the crown upon my head.

Taking it from the table next to my bed I held the crown in my hands, looking at it. It was not a particularly awe inspiring thing. Fairly simple, it was a slender band of gold with nine points at the top. Still, I could feel the powerful aura of magic radiating out of it. As I concentrated the crown elongated and changed. Within a moment I was holding a warrior's helm, coal black on the outside with the inner edges rimmed with bronze. The transformation had been flawlessly fluid, a telltale sign that the maker had been a powerful magician as well as an artisan.

Holding the helm in my hands, I was reminded of the day I came by it, in the palace of my father. I'd been scared out of my mind then, desperate. This helmet had saved my life many times over. Now it was only a memento. Sighing, I changed it back into its other half. Strangely enough, the crown felt heavier in my hands than the helmet had.

"To think it's come to this," I murmured to myself. "So sick of this place that I'm looking back on those ten years of hell as the good old days!" I chuckled blackly, placing the crown on my head. Tetheus came in then to tell me it was time to go.

The throne room was spectacular. I didn't even bother with false modesty when it came to that particular wing of the palace. Any person with eyes in their head could see that it was stunning. Above anything else, this room had received my particular attention when I had first come to the Other Side nearly a millennium ago. Large enough to fit a thousand people, the place burst with color. The floor was polished granite, deep red and black seamed with silver. The walls were painted with vibrant scenes from both the world above and below. Columns supported the ceiling, which was covered with one continuous painting of my rule over the Underworld.

However, even though I had tried to make the place bright, in the dim yellow light of the torches the multitude of brilliant colors were muted into something mysterious rather than festive. It fit the mood of this somber gathering perfectly.

Dark clad bodies drifted between the columns of the throne room, sometimes speaking quietly to one another but more often seeming intent upon keeping the silence of the room unspoiled. I watched them all, sitting on my throne at the head of the room. I could feel their eyes upon me and I kept my face carefully composed. Soon enough the whole congregation had found their way to the front of the giant room, waiting to begin. There was a slight pause. Five hundred years ago the absolute silence would have stretched my nerves, but now I had come to expect it.

Someone moved. The assembly parted for the veiled figure as she glided forward from the back of the crowd. Her flowing gown was as black as the Styx and covered every inch of her skin. Mist-like shadows drifted behind her like a wedding train. I rose as she came to a stop at the bottom of the dais, inclining my head respectfully when she bowed. The woman brought her hands up - still hidden by the fabric of her dress- and pushed back her veil. Though I had seen it many times before, the face beneath the veil made it hard not to stare.

Nyx, goddess of Night, one of the firstborn children of Chaos met my gaze. Her face was black, incredibly black, blacker her dress, blacker than ink. Contrasting with her skin, her eyes were white and glowed like fire. Her black hair framed her face and was dotted with a thousand glimmering stars. Nyx was the oldest person I had ever met and her age demanded respect. She had been ancient before the Titan Kronos had been born and her power had hardly decreased over the eons. Of all the powers in the Underworld I was most in awe of her. It was also fairly obvious that she held me in contempt more than any other person here. Her voice when she spoke sounded like the voice of a young woman, but it held such gravity, such power that every eye in the room was fixed on her.

"I, Night, Consort of Darkness, Mother of Sleep, Mother of Death, do swear upon the River Styx to give my obedience, my servitude, and my sword to you Hades, son of Kronos, who was the son of the Ever Reaching Sky which was birthed of Chaos in The Beginning." Giving me another bow she let her veil fall back into place and melted into the crowd. Once she had been given her turn others began making their way to the front, all pledging themselves to me.

They came from all parts of the Other Side. Charon had left his boat for the first time in nine years, Morpheus his loom. Hypnos, Sleep could barely stand upright long enough to make his vow. His servants carried him back to his cave as soon as he was done. His brother Death was his opposite. Thanatos had never slept. He was alert as he gave his oath, if detached. He soon went away as well, to fulfill his duty and reap the souls of men.

The three Erinyes could not all be spared at the same time from the Fields of Punishment. One by one they drifted in, their snake hair twisting above their faces as they spoke the binding words.

Hecate, goddess of magic came next, speaking in three voices at once. Her troupe of nymphs followed close behind her. Then the five river gods and their consorts. After them came scores of daemons: The Arai, the Keres, Lamiae and Empousai, and even the house servants. One by one they came forward, swearing their allegiance to their king.

It took most of the night. By the time the last miserable daemon swore himself I was bone weary and longing for my bed. Careful not to let it show, I kept my face set as I sat upon my iron throne, watching my court mingle together below me. Knowing my every movement was being scrutinized, I never once relaxed my solemn expression. I spoke to no one and no one came close enough to speak to me.

After another hour many of the guests had left and I felt like I could retire to my own chambers without causing a scandal. Taking leave of them all I went to my bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind me. Not wanting to speak to anyone, I didn't call my man to help with my clothes, instead just pulling the chiton over my head. Dropping it to the floor I fell into my bed, not caring enough to pull the blanket over my body. My eyes closed instantly, my breathing deepening. As I drifted off, I remembered my earlier idea of going to the land of the living. After tonight I knew it couldn't come too soon. I would go the next day.

The Land of the Living was breathtaking.

That's all I could think as I walked down the dusty road, the early morning light making the shadows long and reflecting off the drops of dew. The fresh air was intoxicating, cool and sweet. The breeze blew through my hair, and I could smell the dry, earthy scent of barley. Flowers grew wild alongside the road, and I wondered how anyone could ever take such simple beauty for granted.

The sun drew higher in the sky, replacing the crimson and gold with blue. Feeling the enormous vacancy of the sky above made my heart hammer on my chest. There was no roof to this world. The sense of freedom was overwhelming, so much so that I couldn't contain it any longer. On their own volition my feet began to run, carrying my as fast as they could across the Upperworld. I allowed my mind be quiet, trying to live only in this moment, the earth flying by under my feet, wind blowing my hair out behind me, making my eyes water. I was reminded of the days before I was king, when I would run like this for days at a time. Depending on the occasion I would either have been running away from something or on my way to kill it, but that barely registered now. Now all I could think of was how lucky I had been, under no restraint whatsoever, free from the cares of a kingdom that despised me. Free to feel nothing but the tug of muscle on bone and the ache of breathlessness in my chest. Just thinking about it almost made me laugh out loud.

But like all fantasies this had to come to an end. After about two miles the ache in my chest became a stabbing pain and I was forced to stop. Doubling over, hands braced on my knees, I tried to drag air into my lungs_. So much for being able to run for days at a time _I thought ruefully. _Hades old boy you've been sitting on that throne for too long._ Chagrinned I managed to stand upright and slowly continue walking down the road. Soon enough though I felt that sense of freedom again and began to run.

The rest of the morning was spent like that, sprinting over the rock strewn hill country and slowing to an unsteady walk, breathing in the richness around me.

Around the middle of the day the sun which had been so wonderful in the early hours of the morning turned into a fiery menace, beating down on me with unrelenting force. My face felt hot and sweat made my tunic stick to my back uncomfortably. Soon I was looking for a place to rest for a while until the heat abated. Up ahead I saw that someone had planted an olive grove. I made my way towards it, grateful for some shade.

Sinking down under the largest tree I folded my arms back behind my head, looking up at the gnarled branches. I could make out slivers of the blue sky between the leaves. All around I could feel the waves of heat radiating off the hard earth. That, mixed with the lulling thrum of insect wings and tiredness from running all morning soon had me falling asleep.

Only to be woken up by the sound of giggling.

Forgetting for a moment where I was, I bolted upright. Prepared to demand who was in my bedchamber I met the startled eyes of two human girls. The suddenness of my movement made them hesitate, which gave me enough time to remember that I was still in the Land of the Living. I waited for them to run away but they just kept staring at my face with huge eyes. Belatedly, I wondered if there was grass in my hair. Trying to be inconspicuous about it I brushed my hand back through it to check. My movement seemed to startle them again, and they visibly shook off their fixation.

"Hello." One of them said boldly. She was the one on the left. Her hair was messy and I noticed that one of the straps of her chiton had slipped down her shoulder. It made her look slightly off balance. I forced myself not to frown disapprovingly. Inconsistencies are the bane of my existence. I was so absorbed in that that I barely noticed her friend nudge her sharply. Glancing up, I saw that she was waiting for me to reply. I did.

"Hello." She smiled, receiving another alarmed nudge from the other girl.

"We're sorry about waking you up sir. We don't usually have to worry about people sleeping here." She smiled again and she did something with her shoulder that made the strap slip a little farther down her upper arm. I wished she would do something to fix that.

The other girl seemed to think it was time to intercede."What she means milord," Giving her my attention for the first time I noticed that while her hair did look a little wild, her dress seemed to be in good order. "Is that we are just passing through on our way home from our work and did not mean to disturb you. Please forgive your servants your grace." She barely raised her eyes off the ground as she spoke, and I remembered that most women seemed to do that when speaking to a man, especially a stranger. Her friend seemed to feel no such reservations. The next thing she said only proved that.

"Are you Apollo?" she asked excitedly. I blinked in surprise, so startled that I actually looked away from her wardrobe error.

"No." I said automatically. Her companion- who looked like she wanted to melt into the ground- spoke with alarm.

"Forgive her your grace, she is only a foolish maid. Be silent Daria." The last part was hissed to the foolish maid in question. Daria glared back at her. I thought I had better speak up before they started hitting each other.

"Excuse me," I spoke politely, both their heads instantly turning towards me. "But could you please tell me where I am? I've been traveling for a while..." I let the sentence hang, trying to appear honest. In truth I couldn't care less where I was but these two were starting to work my nerves and I wished them away. Luckily they seemed very happy to attend to my quest for information, their dispute forgotten.

"You're nearing Nysa milord." Daria said cheerfully. Her companion nodded in confirmation.

"Oh, well thank you." I said carefully, trying to appear interested. They waited, both of them staring at me again and we fell into that same strange silence as before. I was completely out of ideas on how to break it this time, and it stretched on for a good while. They both wore that same slightly dazed look that made me feel very aware of my appearance. I wondered again if there was something the matter with my face. Finally, after a good minute had past the one who was not Daria snapped out of her trance.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, making us all jump. "We'd better be getting home. Come along Daria." And with one finally curtsy to me she pulled her friend away. Daria let out a protesting cry but her friend would not relent. I could hear them arguing with each other for a good five minutes after they were out of sight.

Alone at last, I shook my head in silent amazement. Humans, I would never understand them. Deciding it was best I leave in case they turned back for some reason I pushed myself off the ground. I was ready to run again and I headed in the same direction I had been going, south, towards what I now knew was Nysa.

As I was running it suddenly dawned on me why Daria had asked if I was Apollo. Human as they were, it was unlikely that either of the young women I'd just met had been close to an immortal before. And while some mortals were gifted with attractive looks, few were as naturally alluring as one of the Deathless Ones.

I suppose I should have been flattered. It _was_ rather nice to know that my hair wasn't full of grass or my face smeared with dirt. But other than that the encounter had held little interest for me. All I wanted to do now was run and soon all thoughts of my rude awakening were left in the dust behind me.

_Note from the Author: Well it took me a while to get these two up. A mysterious and most unfortunate event occurred after I posted the first chapter which deleted half of the second. You know that scream of rage and despair you heard Saturday night? Yeah that was me. Anyway a good chunk of CH 2 had to be re-written before I could put it and CH 3 up and of course it's not as good as the first but what can I say it happens. These two chapters are really just kind of setting the scene anyway, the part you actually want to read is in the works. Peace out everybody!_


	4. Chapter 4

Persephone

"Persephone!" I looked up. Momma was waving at me from across the field, "It's time to get ready!" she called. A thrill of excitement shot through me. Jumping up, I left the little hollow I'd been kneeling in, abandoning the half grown sorrel and snapdragons to their own devices. Hitching up my skirts, I ran across the field, making a path through the waist high wheat. The heads of the wheat tickled my arms, reminding me that it was time to begin the reaping.

Momma waited for me, taking my arm in hers as we went towards the camp. I pulled at her to move faster, too impatient to walk. Laughing, she let me drag her towards home.

It was the first day of the harvest festival. All around, the servants were adding the finishing touches to the decorations. Leafy bowers were hung between tents and a wooden pavilion had been constructed for eating in. The place was spotless, everything swept and scoured so many times it was pathetic.

Several bullocks and wild boars were slowly cooking over the long strip of fire at the edge of the camp. There was mountains of food, and stone jars filled to the brim with all kinds of wine and beer. And of course there were platters piled high with sweet, wafer-like ambrosia and crystal bowls full of golden nectar, the food of the gods.

As we passed the tent where the drinks were being stored I wrinkled my nose against the smell. I had tried alcohol a few days before and it taste had made me gag. Why anyone would ever drink barley beer was beyond me.

We finally made it to the big tent. Pulling my mother roughly inside, I immediately began to strip.

"Persephone!" she exclaimed, still laughing. "Isadora, come help me get Lady Persephone ready before she hurts herself." I felt several hands on me and before I knew it my chiton was on the floor and I was sitting in the small metal bathtub in the corner.

"I trust you can bathe yourself. Make sure you get behind your ears and between your toes."

"Momma!" I whined, embarrassed.

"Well, you might have forgotten." Rolling my eyes, I yanked the curtain in front of me.

Despite my attitude I did make sure to scrub every inch of me before I got out of the tub, especially between my toes. Clambering out, I called for the maids to empty the dirty water and bring me some fresh to wash my hair with. After they had I sat back down to endure what came next. It was Isadora's turn to wash my hair.

For reasons I never understood, Isadora was one of my mother's favorite handmaidens. They had been together forever, before I had even been born. Apparently, that gave her the right to abuse me. Clenching my teeth, I held on to the edges of the basin until my fingers ached as Isadora scrubbed my scalp with her meaty man hands. It felt like she was about to pull my head off.

"I need my hair washed not yanked out by the roots." I snapped at her midway through. She snorted.

"Your hair is too thick and curly. It's a miracle I can even find your head under all of it."

"You're just jealous." I muttered too low for her to hear. Or so I thought.

"That I don't have to use a rake to brush my hair? No I'm afraid not Little Kore." I ground my teeth together. Kore was Momma's nickname for me. I hated when anyone else called me that and Isadora knew it. Not giving her the satisfaction of knowing she'd gotten under my skin, I kept my mouth shut and held on tighter.

When my hair was finally clean and the pain had dulled to an irritating throb, I wrapped a towel around me and tiptoed across the tent to my pallet. I was about to dig through the chest until I found something suitable to wear when I saw it.

The peplos was laid out on my pallet, smoothed straight and looking like the softest thing imaginable. In case that wasn't enough, the fabric was a deep, dreamy blue, my favorite color. I gasped when I saw it lying there, my eyes widening. I'd never had anything like it.

"I thought that shade of blue would look nice on you." Momma murmured behind me. Unable to speak I slowly knelt next to my pallet, gingerly lifting the peplos up so I could see it better. The linen was light as air. Something bright caught my eye and I saw that the fibulae were made of silver.

"Oh Momma," I whispered, staring at the dress in wonder.

"This is the first festival you've ever attended as an adult Persephone. You will shine more than any woman there." Hearing the catch in her voice I looked back at her. She was smiling but there were tears in her eyes. Dropping the dress, I stood up and held her, burying my face in her shoulder. She held me just as tightly.

"You're not a little girl anymore." She said quietly.

"I love you." I whispered back. "And I'll always be your little girl. Just not really." We both laughed at that, our voices a little shaky. Finally, Momma pushed me back, blinking the moisture out of her eyes.

"Well, put it on," she ordered. "I want to see how it looks on you." Smiling, I hurried to obey, slipping the endless flowing material over my head. Momma and Isadora used the fibulae to pin the shoulders while I tied the cord around my waist, tugging the material up so it would hang over it in the perfect pleat. Standing back we all looked at my reflection in the bronze mirror.

"Oh, Persephone." Momma whispered.

"You look beautiful my lady." Isadora said from my other side. And for once, she didn't sound sarcastic. I had to tease her anyway or I would get choked up again.

"I really do don't I?" I said smiling. I twirled around in a circle once, watching the skirt swing around my legs after I came to a stop.

"Mmm. You're just missing one thing. Isa, put her hair up." I groaned. The only thing worse than having Isadora wash my hair was having her comb it.

Sure enough, Isadora began yanking her comb through my wet hair like she was using a rake in the garden. I yelped in pain. Soon enough she and I were back to our normal quarrelsome selves and if my mother hadn't been standing there I'm sure we would have started smacking each other.

After what felt like a unneccessarily long time, my hair was finally braided into a knot at the back of my skull. "I'm ready!" I said cheerfully, about to skip out into the clearing. The sun had gone down since we'd been in here and I was beginning to hear the sounds of unfamiliar voices outside.

"Not yet you aren't." Momma said, and from a pouch at her waist she brought out a silver crown. I paused in amazement. She laughed at my expression.

"Oh Kore, you are so easy to please." Coming towards me she placed the crown on my head. It was a beautiful, forged into a loose braid with blue flowers made of lapis lazuli wound into it. Taking out a pair of silver earrings, she handed them to me as well. Putting them on I told her that she hadn't needed to do all this. She snorted.

"Of course I did. What would they say back on the Mountain if I allowed my own daughter to attend her coming out party in last year's dress?"

"It's not really my coming out party." I reminded her. She looked skeptical.

"Oh? So I guess all these young men are here for me then?" I blushed. During the last few weeks as we prepared for the festival, we'd been paid several surprise visits from some of our relatives. Some of the visitors had been male. Well actually, most of them had been male. Momma had stayed close by my side whenever they were there, and when she felt like she was needed in the fields she took me with her. I'd been irritated at first. Why couldn't she just leave me alone? But then she'd taken me aside and had a talk with me. She'd explained how many of the Olympian men viewed women, and how they sometimes tried taking advantage of some of them. She had made me promise her that I would never to go anywhere alone with one of them, that it might not be safe. After listening to a few of her stories and remember others I'd heard over the years, it was an easy promise to make. After that she was a tiny bit more relaxed whenever one of my cousins came by.

"Probably. You're prettier than most of the goddesses here." I told her truthfully. She laughed.

"Oh I'm sure. Now we had better get out there before they start wondering where we are"

The festival was everything I'd hoped for. All around me the torchlight danced and music played. Everyone seemed to be laughing and whooping, and many were singing along with the music.

The crowd was loosely divided into two halves, men on their side women on the other. Moving through the women's section I only recognized a few faces, though they all seemed to know who I was. Smiling, I took their compliments for the wonderful party and kept going, searching for someone I knew. Finally I saw Artemis, standing a little aloof from everyone twirling an arrow in her hand. I made my way towards her.

Before I had taken two steps somebody caught my arm. Turning, I came eye to eye with the most glorious face I had ever seen.

The woman was spectacular, her skin creamy pale with rosebud cheeks and deep auburn hair. She smiled at me, full lips parting to reveal small pearly teeth. I couldn't seem to be able to move, all of my attention held captive by her brilliancy.

"Hello," She said, adorably tilting her head to the side. She had pearls in her hair. A voice in the back of my mind wondered why she had even bothered. How could anyone who looked like that need further adornment? Belatedly, I realized that she had been speaking to me and was waiting for my answer. Gulping, I tried to remember what she had said.

"Hello," I croaked. Trying to get a hold of myself I cleared my throat, shaking off a little of the daze.

"You're Persephone aren't you?" She had such a high, clear voice. Like a bell. It was so nice that it was hard to concentrate on what she was actually saying.

"Um, yes." It sounded like a question.

"I thought so. This is an interesting place you live in." She was still smiling, but the way she said the word _interesting_ had me shaking off some more of my stupor.

"Thank you." I answered cautiously. She just kept on smiling.

"Oh, I've heard such things about you dearie! Especially about your good looks. They've made quite as stir back home let me tell you." Hearing that as I looked into her beautiful face instantly made me feel like a cockroach. All my former self esteem plummeted. Looking down, I saw that her dress was almost as perfect as she was, rose-colored and shimmering with gems. Stomach sinking, I realized that my simple peplos looked like a rag next to it.

"I've also heard that you've had quite a few visitors lately. Men are so quaint aren't they? If they so much hear a rumor about a pretty girl they take off like dogs in heat." She tilted her head back as she laughed. I didn't join in. Suddenly I wanted to be far away from this girl with her silver bell voice and face so beautiful it hurt to look at. Collecting herself again, she gave me another pretty smile. I tried to return it. "I even heard that the god of war himself dropped by."

"He did." I told her. That was the wrong thing to say.

"Oh?" Her voice was suddenly disinterested. She had a flower in her hand and lifting it to her face she glanced away from me. After a moment her eyes slid back to look at me over the top of the petals. A shock went through me at the hostility in them.

"Well, if that's the case then I guess I should warn you about something dear Persephone." Here her high pitched voice turned deadly. "You see, Ares belongs to me. His heart, his soul, his body... it's mine. And just because you're Zeus' eldest bastard, that doesn't give you the right to just go after any person you like. In fact," she took a step closer to me. "If I so much as hear about you trying to lead him on..." she didn't finish her sentence, the lotus in her hand bursting into flame. I stared at it, looking back to meet her gaze. Another long moment passed between us, our noses almost touching, my heart pounding. All of a sudden her face went back to how it was before, all sunshine and roses, unbearably beautiful.

"Why hello Arti." she said to someone behind me. Heaving a sigh of relief, I turned to see Artemis standing there, a chicken leg in her hand. Watching us through narrowed eyes she took another bite out of it.

"Problem?" She asked, mouth full. The strange woman feigned a look of surprise.

"No, of course not. Why would there be?"

Artemis gestured at her with the half eaten leg. "Your hand is on fire." All three of us glanced down at the remains of the lotus, now barely more than a smoking stick. Giving a giggle, she cast it aside.

"Goodness, I wonder how that happened." she said, giving another cherubic laugh.

"Yeah, whatever. Go away Aphrodite, and stop harassing my sister." Grabbing me by the arm Artemis hauled me away. I'd never been so happy to see her in my life.

"Thank you so much." I murmured to her once we were out of there. She shrugged.

"Aphrodite is as hideous on the inside as she's beautiful on the outside. I had a feeling she'd be jealous of you tonight. It looks like I was right, as usual." She smirked. I stared at her.

"Jealous of me?" I echoed.

"Naturally. All of the men are looking at you tonight and not her. Nice dress by the way." She shot my peplos an appreciative look. I was still stunned.

"How could anyone that beautiful be jealous of someone like me?" I asked dubiously.

"What do you mean 'someone like you'? Didn't you see yourself before you came out? I had to tell Orion to pick his jaw up off the ground." She snorted a laugh.

"I did look but- wait. Orion is here?" I asked in surprise. My curiousity was instantly ignited, replacing the fear and confusion of my meeting with Aphrodite.

"Mmhmm. We were trapping quail earlier and I told him he might as well come. It didn't take much to convince him. He doesn't turn down free food." She laughed, shaking her head at some memory.

"Where is he then?" I craned my neck to see the other side of the clearing where all the men were standing around. Thanks to all the visits over the last couple weeks I knew more of them than I did their female counterparts. I searched for someone who stood head and shoulders over the crowd.

"He's sitting over by the jars of wine." She pointed. It took me a few moments before I found him, leaning up against one of the stone jars. Sitting down he didn't look all that big and I wondered how tall he actually was.

Orion had golden hair with a beard to match and his tunic was dusty and torn near the bottom, reinforcing Artemis' hunting story. Ignoring the celebration going on around him, he was completely absorbed in his food, wolfing it down like he hadn't eaten in a week. Despite it all he still managed to look attractive, if in a very rugged, outdoorsman way. Feeling eyes on him Orion glanced up from his plate, scanning the area. Catching sight of us, he smiled and waved. Artemis waved back, grinning. She was so preoccupied that she didn't see the young man glaring at them both, tawny eyes filled with hate. Apollo spun on his heel, shoving another man out of his way as he stalked into the crowd. My skin prickled with apprehension. Oblivious, Artemis tugged on my arm, leading me in another direction.

The rest of the night wore on endlessly. I followed Artemis around for a while, met several new people who stayed close to the both of us, making a regular entourage. I danced with my mother and Athena, tried a cup of some bubbly pink concoction that a nymph offered me before promptly handing it back, and ran screaming through the crowd as Hermes darted across the invisible divide separating the sexes, grabbing me and tickling my ribs. That ended when we came face to face with Momma who gave him such a look that I almost feared for his life. Music played and people danced and drank, the space between the two groups shrinking as the night wore on until it was all but non-existent. The men became bolder, walking over and flirting with the girls when the matrons weren't looking.

Keeping an eye on them, I stayed close to my sisters, especially when it became clear that everyone had had too much to drink. Looking around I noticed that most of the people were walking unsteadily, laughing a little too loudly. Some just laid down on the ground and went to sleep, their cups still in their hands.

My group had danced until our legs could barely carry us anymore. As we settled down next to one of the tents, I listened to them all gabble like geese, not paying particular attention to what they were saying.

That's about the time I noticed him. I'd been looking out at the festivities, aimlessly letting my eyes wander when I noticed the strange shadow next to one of the tents. I blinked my eyes, wondering if it was a trick of the light. Squinting, I focused on the shadow, letting my eyes adjust. Sure enough, someone was standing there in the darkness cast by the tent. It was a man I realized, tall and slender, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the revelers. His face was careful as he took them in, his eyes slightly narrowed. I watched him curiously, wondering who he was and why he seemed to be hiding.

"Persephone?" My head automatically turned at the sound of my name. The others were watching me expectantly, making it obvious that I'd missed something.

"Er, what?"

"Who do you think is the handsomest?" One of my new friends whose name I'd forgotten asked, speaking low as she leaned towards me.

"Oh," I laughed, flushing. "Oh, um..." I looked around the clearing at all the young men. They were all very good looking, with curling hair and chiseled features. It was impossible to pick who was the most beautiful. Distracted, I picked the first one I saw.

"Ares." I said and then immediately regretted it. I remembered Aphrodite's warning and the burned lotus, and though I doubted she would ever be able to make good on her threat, I hardly needed her hating me even more than she did. The others all burst into giggles, and made _ooooh_ sounds. Athena shook her head.

"Come now Persephone, surely you can do better than that." This of course brought on an argument and once again my eyes began to roam. Something was making my skin prickle, the hair on the back of my neck raising. I felt like I was being watched. Glancing to my left I saw that the man in the shadows was staring at me. Catching my eye he immediately dropped his own gaze. A shiver ran down my spine and I scooted a little closer to the girl next to me. Unable to resist, I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. His head was turned in my direction but I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not. Daring a glance up at him, I was startled by his expression. HIs eyes were wide as he stared at me, the whites visible from where I sat, his nostrils flared like someone had just slapped him. I was so shocked I couldn't even look away. His wide eyes held mine, the way a snake's eyes hold a bird's. Then the hold broke, and I whipped my head around, letting out the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding.

"Mother of the gods," I swore under my breath.

"Hmm?" The girl next to me asked.

"Nothing," I muttered, trying to catch up with the conversation and failing. I made up my mind not to look back over my shoulder, no matter what. Setting my jaw, I listened hard to what the others were saying, telling myself I was paranoid when I kept feeling the eyes on my back.

Ares came over then, his dark red hair slipping out of the tie at the nape of his neck.

"Hey girls." He said brightly, moving into our midst. Several of the girls protested halfheartedly while others just laughed and scooted over to let him through. I soon realized that his destination was next to me, the girl beside me moving over to give him room. I didn't want to think about what Aphrodite would do if she looked over and saw us.

"Hello Persephone." Ares' voice was low as he spoke to me. His eyes bored into my face, making me suddenly uncomfortable. His eyes were black, making his otherwise ethereal face look almost sinister.

"Hello." I replied, trying to move a little away from him without making it apparent.

"I've got something for you. I saw it and it reminded me of your peplos." Digging into the folds of his tunic, he brought out a blue morning glory, the exact same shade as my dress. My mouth fell open and I took it automatically.

"How on earth did you make this bloom at night?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Oh it's easy, if you know the right people." He winked at me. I couldn't help but smile, touching the rounded edge of the flower.

"Thank you" I murmured, delighted in spite of myself. I loved morning glories. It also showed something about him that he had gone to such trouble to get me this exact one and find a nymph to make it bloom this late at night.

"Here, would you like me to put it in your hair, I can-"

"Ares." A voice spoke from above us. Glancing up at the same time we saw Hermes standing there, eyes bright, fists clenched at his sides. "Ares, get out of here." He forced out between gritted teeth. All around us the other girls had gone silent, feeling the sudden tension in the air.

"Hermes," Athena warned "Maybe you should-"

"What did you say to me?" Ares cut in. I felt his hands curl up into fists beside me.

"I said get out of here you son of a whore." I gasped. What on earth was wrong with him? Then I noticed the way he swayed on his feet. Drunk. Next to me, Ares gave a sharp laugh, making me jump. He stood up.

"Are you sure you've got your facts straight little brother? Or have you just come to play hypocrite? Last time I checked it was _your_ Momma who hitched up her skirts for every-" He swung mid-sentence, catching Hermes completely off guard. I have no idea how Hermes managed to escape the fist that came flying towards his face, but it must have been partly due to Ares' not being entirely sober himself. I let out a scream, terrified that Hermes would be hurt. Acting on instinct I reached for Ares' arm, trying to hold him back.

The world seemed to slow. I grabbed Ares' elbow, trying to tug it back. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a movement. The man standing in the shadow of the tent's arm shot out, as if he were trying to stop me, his face dismayed. I felt the tension in Ares' arm shift, changing from swinging forward to jerking back and all I could think was _this is going to hurt_ as his elbow came towards my face.

Strong hands grabbed me from behind, jerking me away from Ares right before he hit me.

"It's time for bed your ladyship." A voice growled in my ear. Isadora. My heart pounded in my chest. I turned my head over to where that dark man had been standing. He was still there, watching me impassively. Once again my eyes met his, the whole world seeming to disappear as he held me captive. A grunt of pain from the fight made me look away for a moment. When I turned back the man was nowhere to be seen. I blinked, wondering if the whole thing had been imaginary.

As I laid in my bed that night, I thought about the man in the shadows, wondering yet again who he had been. He'd had an interesting face, handsome, but in a different way than Ares. More hypnotic than beautiful. Thinking of Ares made me huff in irritation. I decided that he wasn't very handsome at all, and that that he deserved to be stuck with Aphrodite.

Listening to all the snores and snuffles around me as the drunkards outside slept off their wine, I began to wonder if I was going to survive two more days of this festival.


	5. Chapter 5

Hades

I was laying in my bed, arms folded under my pillow, staring at the ceiling. The dark wooden beams were swirled with darker marking from the grain, making funny shapes and pictures. I had long since mapped them all out, from the snaking river to the ugly deformed cow. Tonight though, I wasn't looking at either of those. I had my eyes on a tangle of swirls right above my head, where six or seven rings loop up to make what looks like the head of a pretty young girl wearing a shawl. I'd never paid it much thought before, but now, as I lay there sleepless my eyes seemed to make their way back to it every few seconds. Looking at that silly imaginary picture, my mind wandered far away, to another girl who wasn't silly at all.

The dim orange light from the bonfire turned Persephone's olive skin the color of bronze. It cast shadows beneath her eyelashes, making them look even longer and glistened off the dark hair that seemed determined to escape the elaborate hairdo on top of her head. She sat in the middle of a group of girls ranging from common dryads to the proud Athena herself. She had been smiling and laughing with them, her dark eyes bright with mischievous amusement. That's when she had seen me.

I blinked hard, forcing myself out of the memory for the hundredth time tonight. I hadn't even realized I had been staring at her until she had looked directly at me. I'd been caught up in her expression, so open and vibrant that it had caught me off my guard. I had been standing in the shadows all evening, watching the goings on of my kinsfolk. I still didn't really know why I went to the festival. I'd heard the music as I was wandering alone out in the Grecian countryside and had decided to investigate. After all it wasn't as if I had anything better to do. I was rarely governed by such whims, but as I saw no harm in it I had ended up on the outskirts of a camp. Standing in silence, the only greeting I received from my family was an occasional wary expressions or dismissive look. That was alright by me. I hadn't come to party. I had come as an observer, one who watches alien phenomenon without tainting himself by interaction. And there had been much to observe. Dionysus was being worshipped by all, and within half an hour most of the guests were slightly unsteady as they danced around the blazing fire. My brother Zeus had his arm around some nymph when our sister Hera wasn't looking, and he laughed and drank as heartily as any of his children. Food was spread out in a wooden pavilion and guests came and went from there in an every changing stream. I saw gray-eyed Athena take offense to something some minor godling was saying and throw her cup of wine into his face. Glowing Aphrodite was draped across the lap of Ares, god of war, while he fed her grapes and her husband looked on with a hateful glare. Through it all was the loud intricate music of the nymphs and even the muses graced the company with stories and songs. I took it all in from the shadow of the tent. That was about the time I noticed the girl.

I didn't recognize her, which was no surprise, as I didn't know most of the younger gods and goddesses in this throng. They held little interest for me. From what I saw they all seemed as shallow and idiotic as their more powerful parents. I nearly thought the same about her, until a second glance revealed to me that her exuberant expression didn't stem from stupidity and drunkenness like the rest, but from something else, some real emotion. I looked at her harder, drawing a map of her features, trying to sense what kind of person was hidden behind that pretty face. I reached my mind out to her, trying to get a feel of her soul. What I found hit me so hard I staggered back a step and let out a wild gasp. The girl had an aura that sent chills down my spine. Her very essence radiated life. It was like looking for a candle and finding the sun. Just being across the clearing from her nearly blinded me. I blinked spots out of my eyes, leaning against a tent pole for support.

Hastily, I tugged my awareness back to myself, trying to clear my head from the sudden overload of sensation. Well, there went my need for a drink. If I had a glass of wine now, I was sure my head would explode.

Now that I had released my hold on her soul, the girl turned back to her little friends like nothing had happened. She appeared just as she had, bubbly and excited, giggling like she hadn't nearly made my eyes roll back in my head from overexposure to the presence of life. Dear Fates that had nearly killed me. Killed with life. How original, I thought. I decided that I needed to find out who that little goddess was, if only to avoid surprise encounters in the future. Glancing around me, I looked for someone to ask. Unsurprisingly no one was near enough to talk to. Only strange characters like me stood in the shadows while a drunken festival was in full swing. I gritted my teeth as I looked around the clearing, searching for someone who might be able to help me without asking to many questions. I detest questions.

After several sweeps of the camp, I soon began to lose hope of ever coming across anyone who could give me information. Then I saw Hermes, god of messengers coming out from one of the tents. His clothes were rumpled and he staggered a little, making it rather obvious that he hadn't been alone in there. He began walking in my direction, the wings on his sandals flapping a little like they were as drunk as he was.

Hermes and I aren't exactly what you would call friends. He brought the souls of the dead to the entrance of my domain and was one of the few living creatures who could wander into and out of the Underworld with relative freedom. That made him familiar to me. This, paired with the knowledge that he rarely cared enough to make inquiries made him useful to me in my little quest for knowledge. As he walked by me, I grabbed his arm and pulled him into the shadow of the tent. He gave a little yelp of surprise and nearly fell over as his weight shifted. Ridiculous Olympian.

"Hermes." I said, gripping his arm to keep him upright.

"Huh?" he said intelligently.

I decided not to waste time with chit chat. "Hermes, who is that girl? The little goddess in the middle over there?" I gestured with me head, hoping he could see that far in his state. He squinted, looking around that side of the camp.

"Which one? There are about twenty goddesses over there."

"The one by the tent. Sitting near Artemis."

"Artemis? Artemis is over there. I just left her." He jerked his thumb to the tent he had stumbled out of. Right then a little blond river nymph crept out, smoothing her hair and straightening her chiton.

"You really are drunk aren't you?" I murmured in amazement.

"Oh look, there she is. Huh, I wonder how she got out here so fast." He slurred, pointing to the real Artemis who was sitting right where she'd been the last half hour. I started to doubt how much Hermes could help me after all.

"Yes, yes." I said impatiently. "But who is the girl beside her. The one with the dark hair wearing the crown. The one laughing right now." Of course they all started laughing as soon as I said that. Thankfully, Hermes had figured out who I was referring to. He straightened up and gave me a look that would have been serious if he hadn't been wobbling just slightly.

"That," He said, his tone clearer and a bit suspicious. "Is Persephone, daughter of Lady Demeter, goddess of flowers. What's it to you?"

"Oh, nothing in particular." I said, keeping my face expressionless. "I thought it might have been her, but it has been so long since I've seen Little Persephone that I didn't know for sure." It was a lie but a believable one. It had been a very long time since I had seen the child of my sister, but I had not almost recognized her tonight. Hermes seemed to believe me, and I wondered where his defensiveness had come from. Probably had a sweet spot for her. Arrogant fool. Come out of some sort of tryst with a river nymph and have the nerve to defend the honor of a virginal goddess. _Typical Olympian_ I thought to myself in disgust.

Right then, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Ares had made his way over and was now standing in front of the cluster of girls, grinning down at them. Ares was one of my least favorite relatives, but I often found him useful in the sense that he was rather bull headed and rash, and therefore fairly easy to control when I had a mind for it. He also was the cause of most of humanities wars, making my kingdom swell with souls of fallen mortals. Despite that, I still hated the sight of him. His over confidence set my teeth on edge. He chatted with the girls, making them laugh. Wiggling his way in between them, he managed to squeeze in next to Persephone. Hermes, standing next to me, narrowed his eyes. His strange jealousy had found a new target. I hid a smirk and turned my head back to the show across the camp. The other girls seemed to have accepted Lord Ares' arrival and went back to their earlier conversation. Persephone didn't join them though, she was speaking to the god sitting next to her. Their proximity was making me rather uncomfortable. It seemed that they would suffocate if they didn't get a bit more air between the two of them. The feeling intensified when Ares pulled the little flower out of the folds of his tunic. It was blue and seeing it lit up something behind the girl's eyes that reminded me of the brilliant burning sensation of touching her soul. When she smiled her face shone with an inner light. Ares seemed to see it too and returned her smile with a triumphant grin of his own.

I had never hated him so fiercely in my life.

Apparently neither had Hermes. As soon as the flower came out he was in motion, his steps only slightly hindered by the alcohol. He strode over to them and spoke, though I couldn't hear to whom his words were directed. Ares looked up at him and his smile shifted into a sneer. I watched with great fascination as the next scene unfolded.

Hermes said something else to his half-brother and though I couldn't see his face, his posture was rigid and unfriendly. Ares shot to his feet, nearly knocking Persephone over. The nymphs hastened out of the way, foreseeing a fight. They were right. Ares threw a punch that Hermes miraculously dodged. Persephone let out a little shriek and tried to grab Ares' arm to stop him. A thrill of alarm shot through me and I took an unconscious step towards her. Luckily for both of us, one of her nymphs, a stern looking one with a wreath of olive leaves woven into her hair, grabbed her away before Ares could swing his arm back and knock her teeth out with his elbow.

Her dark eyes were filled with horror as the two drunken –or in Hermes' case very drunken- gods took turns punching each other. I knew that if Hermes was in his right mind, he would never have gotten in a fight with a man like Ares, but what can I say? A little wine, a little kissy in a tent and some murderous jealousy can do that to the best of us. Or at least so I am often told. As it was, I was more interested in the little goddess's reaction than the stupid fight. She looked so horror struck that I felt my heart go out her. She must be very sheltered to be so shocked by a little brawl. I hadn't seen her since she was a little mite, but as I thought back, I did vaguely recall the protective look in Demeter's eyes when she had held her newborn daughter. No doubt she had been babysat and coddled every moment of her life since then. It was no wonder that something like a drunken brawl- probably an everyday event for the rest of these blockheads- would be so upsetting to her. I thought about how she had burned me with her soul. Maybe that had something to do with it as well. Such a soul as that could not be made to love violence.

As I was studying her, thinking about this, she suddenly threw another glance my way. Her own dark eyes caught mine and something happened that made my head whirl. I was again caught up in her soul, all my awareness pulled towards her and once again I met that glowing, heart wrenching life force that made my head light and my insides twist. Her face was so lovely. It made me heart ache just looking at her. I'm no good with romantic notions, but as I stood there staring at her I suddenly wished I was.

The fight broke up, making her look away from me. I immediately turned away, trying to get away from her as fast as I could. I walked out of the camp, into the darkness. Oh the darkness, how I had missed it. I hurried out into it, away from the bright lights of the festival and the burning light that was Persephone daughter of Demeter.

Now I laid in my bed, and try as I might, I could not get that girl off my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. She had the prettiest little mouth, I thought. It was like… Oh I had no idea what it was like. I didn't know what to compare it to. It was just beautiful. But not beautiful like her eyes were beautiful. No her eyes were like lamps, so full of light and life and love. Spiritual things. There was nothing spiritual about her mouth. It had been formed with sweet sensuality in mind.

A little shiver made its way down my back and in one swift motion I brought my pillow out from behind my head and clamped it down on my face. Oh it was too much. What was _happening _to me? It felt like I was on fire. Like I was dying of thirst but no matter how much I drank it was never enough. I remembered how Persephone had looked when Ares had given her that pathetic little flower. Like she thought he was the most thoughtful, caring person in the world. I dug my fingers into the pillow like I was going to rip it to shreds. I hated Ares with all my heart. I despised him. I wanted to drag him down to my kingdom, have him nailed to the floor of my throne room and slowing sliced apart as I watched. And why did I want to do that? How could I possibly care about some god enough to wish that upon him?

_Because you envy him._

The thought had started out as barely a whisper in the back of my mind, a toneless inkling that I tried to ignore. Instead of going away though, the thought had become louder and louder with each passing day. Now it haunted my steps like a ghost, whispering into my ear every few seconds until I was sure that it would drive me into insanity.

_You envy him Hades. You envy her affection towards him. You wish that she had looked at you the way she looked at that insolent dog. _

I pressed the pillow closer to my face, trying to block the voice from my head. All I succeeded in doing was suffocating myself. I thought about Hermes. The way he had gone after the war god. He had felt the same way I did for that little goddess.

_One of them will have her in the end. Maybe not Ares or even Hermes, but someone will. What are you going to do then?_ Rage filled me. Why couldn't I think straight? I can always think. It's one of the advantages I've always had over my brothers, a clear head to strategize. But now I was addled. The girl had woven herself around my brain, making it impossible to see anything clearly. Yet the image in my mind wouldn't leave. I saw her, Little Persephone, leaning on the arm of some faceless man, her own face glowing like a candle. I gritted my teeth in frustration.

The image began to shift. The faceless man became me, standing with Persephone on the balcony outside my bedroom. She was looking out over the expanse of my palace to the half-light of the plateau beyond. That life burning within her would shine so brilliantly that for a moment I might actually forget I was in the Land of the Dead. The dream Persephone smiled, that sweet, dimpled smile that hadn't left me alone since I had first seen it. I imagined her turning that smile up at me, her cheek pressed against my shoulder, her little hand on my arm. In real life my breath hitched.

_You want her. _I froze. The thoughts in my head froze too, like they couldn't believe I was actually listening to them. I laid there, mildly surprised, my face still buried in the pillow. Slowly, I took it away from my face, feeling the cool air spill around me. I wanted her. I blinked once, mulling that over in my mind. It was such a simple concept, wanting something. This something wasn't just anything though, and all emotions behind wanting it had clouded my reasoning. I wanted her.

I wanted her bad.

As I lay there in bed, a whole new world seemed to open up in front of me. I wanted Persephone. I wanted to see her, and touch her and keep her with me forever. "But how do I do that?" I whispered. The answer was right in front of me, easy as anything. I stared up at the girl in the woodwork and began thinking again. After giving in to the idea of wanting her, my thoughts took focus again. A plan began to form.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry about the delay! These last few weeks have been hectic to say the least and on top of it all I've had a killer case of writer's block. Anyway this chapter's not my favorite but it's as good as it's going to get. Thank you for all of your reviews!**

Hades

"And will you be meeting with the council today my lord?"

The voice of my man servant pulled me out of my brooding. I had been staring out the window of my antechamber, mulling over my plan. I had gone over it probably a thousand times during the last few hours but I considered it time well spent. Glancing over at Tetheus I saw that he was holding up a dark gray himation interwoven with gold and bordered with red along the edges. It was what I usually wore when I met with the council. Thinking back, I vaguely remembered that I had been prepared to do just that until last night. Now the garb would just be outlandish.

"No, get me out some riding clothes. I have an appointment on Olympus today."

Understandably, this sudden announcement left the man a little flustered. I could hear him scrounging around behind me, looking for a suitable outfit. Tetheus, like most of the other servants milling about the place, was a daemon, a natural denizen of the underworld. His flesh was tinged gray and his hair was the color of rust. Pupil-less black eyes, clawed hands and pointed teeth made up the rest of him. Despite his rather unsightly appearance, he thought himself very important among the rest of the staff due to his position as my personal servant. As such, Tetheus tried his best to keep himself acquainted with all my business. No doubt this sudden trip to the Mountain of the Gods would keep him guessing for the rest of the day. Hopefully I would be able to give him some straight answers by the time I got back.

I let him dress me in a short gray tunic and cloak and left him standing in my wake as I headed for the stables.

Around twenty buildings sprawled outside my palace. The stable housing my chariot team was one of them. A boy had been sent ahead of me to tell the stable master to have the team ready by the time I arrived.

Striding across the final courtyard towards the domed stable, hair tied back and helmet under my arm, I could see the great beasts pawing at the ground, their teeth bared, manes flickering like black fire. The stable hands kept their distance except for Ularis, the only person besides myself who had ever been able to manage the beasts. I made my way over to the chariot. Climbing in, I put my helmet on and took the reigns. I gave the order for the gates to be opened. Hearing the rumbling that they had come to learn meant freedom, the horses became even more disobedient, snapping at Ularis.

"Get back." I told him. He hurried to comply. Cracking my whip, I let the team have their head, bracing myself as they took off towards the River Styx.

* * *

The Mountain of the Gods could be seen for miles. Besides it's height it appeared like any other mountain except that it was dotted with glittering objects near the top, the temples and palaces of a pantheon.

The distance to the summit would have taken weeks to travel by foot but my team cleared it in less than an hour. Soon the mountain paths transformed into wide cobble stone streets, walls and buildings rising around me. Before I knew it I was in the heart of Olympus, barreling through noisy markets and past tranquil gardens. Pedestrians threw themselves up against the walls to make way for me. Some began to throw curses, only to see my face and fall silent, their own faces turning white upon recognition. I ignored them all, urging my horses onward towards the only temple that mattered, the one at the very top of the mountain.

At last I saw it. I had seen temples dedicated to Zeus in the mortal realm and they paled in comparison to the magnificence of this one. The marble columns soared above me, the air filled with the sweet smell of amber and incense. Driving up to the entrance of the temple, I pulled the team to a halt, much to their outrage. Silencing them with one word I cast a spell to make them stay put before jumping out of the chariot.

Taking the steps two at a time, I parted the gossamer curtains that led into the temple. The fire burned in the giant brazier before the throne where my brother sat to hold counsel. The floor was striped with daylight and shadow as the sun shone between the columns to the right. The throne was empty, the room silent. Striding across the floor I was prepared to continue my search for my brother when a voice sounded from behind me.

"He's in the Eastern Garden." Turning, I looked back at the hearth. Though no one had been sitting there moments ago, a woman now tended the holy flames, calmly snapping branches into halves before laying them on the fire. Glancing up at me, she smirked.

"Is that your new job then? Keeping our baby brother's feet warm? And here I thought things would be brighter after the war." I said to her. She shrugged.

"Things rarely turn out as well as we expect them to Hades. That just helps us better appreciate those that do more than we might have otherwise."

Chuckling, I shook my head at her consulted logic. "At least your advice remains grounded in wisdom. It's good to see you Hesti." I walked back towards her. Seeing her took a slight edge off my urgency just as it always had. She smiled.

"And you Hades. Though to be honest I hardly recognized you. It's been years since the Unseen One has graced my humble hearth with his presence." She sounded slightly miffed. Feeling guilty, I tried apologizing, using my work as an excuse. She help up her hand, effectively cutting me off.

"Apologizing for spilled wine won't clean it up, little one. It'd just be nice to see you once in a while. If only so that I'm not quite so shocked the next time my maid comes in, saying that a crazy man in a chariot pulled by fiery black stallions nearly killed her on her way to work." Hestia looked at me with raised eyebrows. Smirking, I only shrugged.

"Sorry about that."

"Mm-hmm. So what's so important that you'd climb out of your hole and trample half the good people of Olympus to death?" Hestia tried to make her voice disinterested as she piled more dry twigs on the fire. I knew better. Her curiosity was kindled, and underneath that half-bored facade she was paying very close attention to everything I did.

I composed my features, careful not to let anything betray me. Until I spoke with Zeus I would not speak of my plan to any person, not even Hestia. I answered her solemnly.

"I've come to speak to our brother about several matters of great importance." I said vaguely. She glanced up at me with some surprise. I rarely held anything back from her and she knew it.

"Nothing too serious I hope?"

I thought about it. "No, just business." I spoke truthfully. Marriage contracts were business of the most important kind. She still looked skeptical.

"I've never known you to come all this way to talk of business with the king. Why didn't you just send for his son Hermes?" I was growing impatient. My pleasure at seeing Hestia was being overshadowed by that same need for action that had driven me here. That was why my next words were angrier than they should have been.

"Well maybe I just wanted to get out for a while." I snapped. Her eyes widened and I immediately felt guilty.

"Hestia," I said quickly before she could respond. "Forgive me. But I really must see our brother" It was still difficult to refer to him as the king even after all this time. "You said you knew where he was?"

Still looking slightly startled Hestia nodded. "Yes, he's in the Eastern Garden." At my blank look she held out her hand, pointing behind me. "Just go that way, out of the temple and down the walk. It's through the door by the fountain." Giving her a stiff nod of thanks I turned on my heel and continued marching, pretending not to have noticed the look of concern she gave me.

After following her simple directions I soon found the door she meant. Suddenly apprehensive, I paused outside the garden, hand on the door. So much weighed in the balance. I thought of Persephone, sitting among her friends and half-sisters at the festival, her lovely face radiant and something in my chest seemed to tighten. To think that my ever having her as my own depended on this next conversation made me as nervous as I had ever been. Taking a deep breath, I held it as I yanked open the heavy door and swept into the garden.

The Eastern Garden was like every other garden on the Mountain. Fruit trees shaded the place and flowers of every size and color bedecked it. There was a small pool in the center filled with orange fish and surrounded by ornamental rushes. I heard rusting in those reeds, followed soon after by a female shriek. The serenity of the lawn was soon punctuated by more shrieks and giggles as the rushes waved back and forth. Suddenly a person burst out of the tall grass, followed soon by another who, catching her about the waist, swung her around, creating more squeals from the captive. The second figure laughed, burying his face in his prisoner's neck, kissing her. They were both breathing hard from their run. The girl lunged, breaking away from her keeper and leading him on a chase around the garden, only to be caught again, her hair and dress in disarray. Both were laughing and I thought it would be better to put an end to it before the nymph managed another escape. I cleared my throat loudly.

Startled, both looked up from their game. The girl gave another little scream, this time from mortification. Her friend didn't look quite so upset about being discovered, but seeing me did cause him some surprise.

"Hades?" He asked, as if he wasn't believing what his eyes were telling him.

"I'd like to speak to you Zeus. Alone." I threw a sharp glance at the girl who had gone very pale upon hearing my name. She tried to break free again but my brother held on, not taking his eyes off me.

"Well to be honest Hades, I'm a bit busy here at the moment. Why don't you come back later?" He was irritated at me, but I could not put this off any longer.

"Now." I said simply, folding my arms across my chest. Zeus narrowed his eyes. I knew that if I was one of his children he would have just thrown me out. But I wasn't one of his brats, and whatever had brought me out of my realm must be reasonably important. He considered me, the wheels in his mind turning behind those sharp blue eyes. Those eyes had purple shadows beneath them, and small lines etched the corners of his mouth. Reaching out, I could feel a churning anxiety and frustration muddling his aura. Something was bothering him, something much bigger than my interrupting his affair. Finally he made his decision. Giving a sigh, he bent over the nymph's throat again, kissing her once. He murmured something into her skin, kissing her again before letting her go. The girl bounded away, creating as much distance between she and myself as possible. Within a moment she was gone. Sighing again Zeus watched her retreating form before flicking his gaze over to me, giving me a glare.

"This had better be good." He grumped. Not deigning to reply, I turned, walking calmly towards the raised marble dais situated beneath an olive tree in the back corner of the garden. I could hear Zeus following behind.

Taking a seat at the table, I folded my hands in front of me, waiting as he straightened out the folds of his chiton. As I watched him I noted that Persephone hadn't taken after him as far as looks went. Zeus was altogether light colored, silver blond hair, pale skin and ice-blue eyes with high cheek bones and sharp features. Persephone had inherited her mother's olive coloring and heart shaped face.

"Well, what do you want?" Though Zeus tried to keep the irritation in his voice I could tell my presence unnerved him. Surely a surprise visit from his eldest brother could bring nothing but bad news. Steeling my nerves, I answered him.

"I came here because I wanted to ask something of you." What was I going to do if Zeus denied my request? Knowing that I had no answer to that question disturbed me as much as anything.

Zeus looked even more wary. "And that would be…" he left the question hang.

"Zeus." I began, trying to decide where to start. "Brother. You remember the festival that was held a few weeks ago?" I repressed a sigh at his confused look. No doubt the king had gone to several festivals since then. "The one held in honor of Demeter? For the good harvest?" I prompted. He seemed to remember then and nodded once in recognition. Satisfied he was on the same page I continued.

"I was there as well-"

"I know." He interrupted. "I saw you, standing around like a stick in the mud." Choosing to ignore that I went on.

"Yes well, while I was there watching you all, I happened to see something that caught my attention." Zeus leaned forward, suddenly interested.

"I did not know who this person was so I asked around. I then discovered that I did in fact know this person, though I had not seen them in many years, and let's just say that she's changed quite a bit." I gave a breathless laugh that came out more like a gasp for air. Zeus was staring at my so intently I felt like some sort of specimen.

"What I mean to say is," I continued after an awkward pause. "That I saw your daughter, that is, your daughter Persephone, and Zeus, I –I want your consent to make her my wife."

Silence. Zeus continued to scrutinize me, not saying a word. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Zeus?"

"You want to marry Persephone?" Uncertain about his tone, I nodded in affirmation.

"You saw her at the festival?"

"Yes."

"And now you want her to be your wife?"

"Yes." Zeus sat back, thinking about that for a moment, finally looking away from me for which I was grateful. My heart was hammering in my chest as I waited for him to speak. Finally he chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well then Hades, I suppose I give you my consent." My ears rang with his words, sudden warmth flooding my veins. Letting out the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding, I buried my face in my hands to hide my relief. Joy washed through me, making me lightheaded, and it was all I could do not to start laughing.

"Thank you." I gasped out. I looked up at my brother through my fingers. I'd never been so glad to see him. "Thank you Zeus. I will take such good care of her, I promise you. I'll see that she has everything she needs. Anything she wants will be hers, anything at all. I'll do my best to make her happy, I swear it." I forced myself to stop babbling, regaining some of my composure.

Zeus smirked. "I believe you. But there is one thing you had better know Brother." Something in his tone had my good mood fading around the edges. "You see, there have been others who've come here, asking about Persephone." I narrowed my eyes at him, all my joy momentarily forgotten, white hot jealousy taking it's place.

"Who?" I hissed. Ares giving Persephone that flower immediately came to mind. Zeus waved off my question.

"Oh it doesn't matter. The point is, Demeter wouldn't hear of it. Whenever I even mentioned marriage to her she all but bit my head off. It's a miracle she even let us have the festival. Needless to say she won't see the advantages of this match."

"What are you saying?" I asked warily. He hesitated. When he did speak his tone was contemplative.

"I'm saying that sometimes to get what you want, you have to put in a little...extra effort." Zeus looked at me meaningfully. Understanding what he meant I felt my pulse quicken.

"You can't be serious." But I knew he was. His next words assured me of that much.

"It wouldn't be that hard Hades. She's usually off by herself anyway, running through the fields, catching butterflies and whatnot. All you'd have to do is-" I slammed my palm down on the table, on my feet in an instant.

"Are you telling me," I growled "That in order to have Persephone as my queen I have to abduct her like some lust crazed marauder?" Zeus didn't bat an eye at my accusation.

"I am telling you that if you want to marry my daughter you have to get past her mother. And Demeter won't let you anywhere near her Hades. She'll lock Persephone up tight and you'll never see her again." He leaned towards me conspiratorially. "Better to act now while she doesn't suspect anything." He whispered. Huffing, I spun away from him, hands raking back through my hair. I was divided. Surely there had to be a better way than this!

"You're her father. Not to mention the king. Can't you just make Demeter see reason?"

"You don't know her like I do. When it comes to Persephone reason doesn't matter. And I won't force her Hades. I can't afford -" He cut himself off, scowling like he had said to much. I knew what he meant. I had heard about his ongoing dispute with Poseidon. He wouldn't want Demeter siding with our brother if it came to a fight. Disgust filled me. No matter how easy Zeus' manners seemed to be, he was always looking out for his own interests first.

"But Persephone is mine." I stated. He nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I gave her to you. As far as I am concerned, you are already married." I nodded. My mind was a whirlwind, bits and pieces of information flying about to rapidly for me to make any sense. It felt like I was being torn in two, half of me screaming about how wrong this was, how disgustingly vile it was to even think about it. Then there was the other half who only cared about one thing, having Persephone all to myself. The vision I had seen the night before came back, the one of her standing with me on my balcony. The balcony in my bedroom... Something still bothered me though.

"Taking her like that would hardly encourage her to love me." Zeus snorted in derision.

"_Love? _What does love have to do with anything? A girl doesn't need to _love_ her husband, she needs to respect him. As long as she does then you have as good a chance at happiness as anyone. And if your lucky, she'll come to love you sooner or later. Just think about how happy I would be if Hera respected me." He laughed, coming up and clapping me on the shoulder. "Sometimes I wish I'd yanked _her_ up into a chariot instead of trying to be so romantic." His expression turned thoughtful "That woman needs a dose of fear in her life." He mumbled.

I was barely paying attention to him, waging my own internal battle. I had almost convinced myself that it couldn't be so very wrong, given that Persephone already belonged to me. I would just be taking what was rightly mine, not stealing her from her mother. And it wasn't as if I was opposed to marrying her properly. That was Demeter's problem. Shaking my head, I moved away from Zeus.

"What will Demeter do, when she finds out I took Persephone?" I asked. Zeus suddenly grew uncomfortable.

"Well I wasn't actually planning on making the news public. I thought maybe you could just keep her down there with you and no one would be the wiser. It's not as though you receive much company." I shook my head in disbelief. Sometimes my brother could be such a fool. I was growing weary of his presence. I needed time alone to think.

"I will take your words into consideration. Goodbye." I spoke brusquely, turning on my heel to leave. Zeus made no attempts to stop me as I stormed out of the courtyard.


	7. Chapter 7

Persephone

The harvest festival at last came to a close. After the last guest had left and the camp had been put back together the entire fiasco became only a memory.

Life resumed as it had been before, a comfortable rhythm of long days in the fields and cool nights sitting with my mother by the campfire. Though this lifestyle could hardly be called glamorous, I knew in my heart that had I given a choice I would still have picked this sweet simplicity over all the splendor of the gods. The festival had taught me that much at least.

The wheat was almost harvested. Everyday Momma would go out to the fields, sometimes walking among the reapers, other times helping the women gather the wheat into sheaves. Her skin became dark from the long hours spent in the sun and she would come home tired, smelling of sweat and dust. Still, she loved the work and would arise early the next morning, eager to begin again.

Sometimes I helped her in the fields, but usually I liked to be out growing my flowers in the meadows and along the roadsides. Momma did not like for me to go off by myself and I was usually accompanied by several of her handmaidens. I didn't care all that much for the entourage but I put up with them for her sake. Most of the time at least. There were days though that I just preferred to be alone. During those times I would wait for an opportune moment when the girls weren't paying close attention to slip away into the woods or over a hill.

Today was one of those days. I'd come across some troubling news and wished to be alone to think it all through. Unfortunately Momma had caught me before I could sneak off and told three of the nymphs to attend me. Forcing a smile, I didn't say anything as the trio followed me out of the camp, but in my head I was already planning my escape route.

As we climbed over the hills of Nysa, I couldn't keep my thoughts on track. They kept flitting away from the present back to the awful thing I had overheard that morning. Biting my lip, I stepped around a cluster of sharp stones embedded in the hillside, my mind far away.

Early that morning when the Dawn was just beginning to stretch her fingers across the east, I had overhead a conversation between my mother and Iris the messenger goddess, cup-bearer to the Queen of Heaven. They were speaking in hushed tones right outside the tent. Curious, I had slipped out from underneath my blanket and crept silently towards them. I could see their silhouettes through the thick fabric of the tent. They were leaning in close to each other, intent. Feeling slightly guilty for eavesdropping, I paused right next to them and leaned in close.

"Are you sure?" Momma breathed, her low voice appalled. Hearing it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Yes." Iris' voice was insistent, filled with the wicked glee of a gossip. "You should have seen the king's face when he came into the thrown room. I swear his skin was purple." She gave a nervous giggle.

"Zeus _would_ be angry. And with every right to be. What Apollo did was unforgivable."

"Mmm." Iris hummed in agreement. "His father told him as much from what I heard. The king nearly rang his neck! Apparently if it hadn't been for the Lady Athena's intervention, Lord Apollo would have been diced into little hunks of meat and fed to the dogs by now." I stiffened. What was this? Surely Iris could not be suggesting that Baba could ever have done such a thing to his own son?

"Perhaps you are exaggerating a little Iris." Momma murmured a little wryly. "After all, the boy is immortal." Her tone grew serious again. "But he really did it? He really tricked her into killing him?"

"Well I doubt she did it on purpose." Iris snorted. I imagined her rolling her eyes. "Lady Artemis was always going on about how great her giant was. So unless shooting your beloved in the head is a new token of affection, she had to have been swindled by her brother or provoked by something Orion had done. Either way, Apollo is getting the blame for it on the Mountain."

It was a moment before Momma answered. My heart was beating so loudly in my ears that I could barely make out her words when she spoke. "That poor girl. There's not telling when she'll get over this." Iris snorted again.

"A bit faster than her brother will from what I saw. You should have seen the king my lady, he was positively rabid! Though to be honest yesterday his spirits seemed to have improved some." She added, a faint note of disappointment marring her voice.

I decided it was time to get back into bed before I was caught. Creeping back to my pallet, I pulled the covers up to my nose, straining my ears to hear anything else. Their voices were to low to be heard at that distance however, and Iris left shortly afterward.

The early morning conversation had bothered me all day, making it hard to concentrate on anything else. However difficult it was to believe, I could only guess that the huntsman Orion was dead and by Artemis' hand. It was unthinkable. Yet Iris had been near when the news broke, she must know as much as anyone. Poor Artemis. Poor Orion! And what was that about Apollo? That he had somehow tricked her into doing it? I could believe as much. I remembered his expression when he saw Orion at the festival.

One of the dryads laughed loudly. Glancing over my shoulder I saw my three nursemaids chasing each other with willow branches. Whenever one found it's mark, the branch made an angry red line across the skin, initiating immediate retaliation. Any other day I would have joined them in the fun, but now their laughter seemed to shrill, their screams tearing at my nerves. Frustration roiled inside me. Why couldn't they just leave me alone for once? Afraid I would do something rash if I stayed there any longer, I raced up the slope, trying to avoid the sharp stones half hidden in the grass. I didn't look behind me to see if anyone noticed me leave. I prayed to the Fates that they wouldn't.

I made it to the other side of the hill, pausing for a moment to see if I was being followed. Squeals echoed around the hollow where they continued to play their rowdy game. I was free.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I bounded away, feeling smug. Finally free to be miserable, I continued to think about what I had heard. Iris had said that Zeus had been angry at Apollo. Worse than angry, _rabid_. I had never seen my father be anything other than cordial. I trembled to think about what his wrath would look like. I imagined his pale eyes blistering with lightning, his face contorted into a snarl as he pinned one of his eldest sons against a stone pillar, rage overshadowing reason. I could guess the reason for his anger. My conversation with Athena came back clear as crystal, Baba's plan for an alliance between the two families. That was nothing but smoke now. Apollo had not only taken away the chance of a possible alliance, but had stirred his uncle's hatred. When I though of how Poseidon would retaliate to such an incident my head spun sickeningly. The threat of war was quickly becoming a probability.

Trying to shake off such thoughts that I could do nothing about, I knelt, pressing my palm against the earth, fingers spread wide. Feeling the cool, moist soil, I pulled at it with my mind, feeling the tingle of magic run down my arm. Something moved beneath my hand. Lifting it up slightly, I spied a tiny sprout nudging my palm. I gently cupped my hand around it, willing it to grow. The sprout burst leaves, its stem growing taller, thicker. Tendrils shot out of that stem, blindly reaching out for something to hold on to. One caught my thumb, eagerly twining around it like a newborn baby grasping his mother's finger. I smiled. Using my free hand, I brushed my fingers over the new leaves and up the vining tendrils, willing them to be strong. The slender vines wound their way around the stalks of grass, climbing ever upwards towards the light. Finally, buds began to grow and burst open, celebrating the return of the day. The morning glories were the same shade of blue as the one Ares had given me at the festival, but these were alive, not torn away from their life source like the other. Gently disentangling my thumb away from the baby morning glory, I pressed my hand to another piece of ground, this time raising a patch of ox-eye daisies out of the earth.

I spend the rest of the morning calling forth flowers, intent on filling the entire field with them. I decided that if I could just concentrate on that task it would serve as a distraction from my earlier gloomy thoughts. It worked for the most part. The day continued on, the sun rising higher, growing hotter. Soon sweat was beading on my forehead, but still I soldiered on, determined to bedeck the grassy meadow with sweet clover and lilies.

Around midday I decided to take a short rest. A large boulder sat in the middle of the field. Walking over, I sank down, grateful for its shade.

The cool stone felt good against my skin as I leaned back against it. I looked out over my handiwork. The meadow was more than half filled with my creations. _My little flower children _I thought with a smile. Up on the distant hillside, I saw a young human had come with his herd of pigs and was letting them root around in the shade cast by several trees. He was watching me, his eyes wide. I gave him a smile, hoping that he would keep his pigs away from my flowers. As I was looking at him something else caught me attention, a gleam out of the corner of my eye.

A few yards from me, a spot of brilliant white stood out like a beacon against the green and gold tones of the grass. I had not come to that corner of the field yet, and the flower was the only one of it's kind. Intrigued, I decided to investigate.

Upon closer inspection, I immediately knew that this was no flower I had ever called up. It's petals were bone white, thrown back from the crimson center. It was breathtaking, and completely unlike anything I had ever seen. Kneeling beside it, I gingerly reached out to touch the soft petals, rubbing one between my fingers. Gasping, I jerked back my hand.

I always had a sort of connection with my flowers, a special kind of bond between creator and creation. Each kind had a different 'feel' to it. For example, morning glories had an inexplicably joyful essence. Growing them always made me feel better, no matter how worried I was. That was one of the reasons why I loved them.

There was something wrong with this flower, a darkness hidden in its blood. Touching it filled me with a strange and overpowering emotion I had never felt before, something deep and dark and tantalizing. Unable to stop myself, I reached out again, brushing my fingertips over its stem and petals. As soon as my skin made contact that sensation came back in full force, leaving me breathless. It was so strange, like sadness and anger combined, a longing that made my blood burn and my chest ache. Something was happening low in my stomach and...other places. I suddenly wanted something I had no name for and no clear idea of what it even was. My heart hammered in my chest and my breathing was beginning to come in short pants. At the very edge of my mind, I suddenly knew what this feeling was, though how I knew was beyond me. _Desire_. Invisible flames licked at my skin, burning me without pain. Gulping, I yanked back my hand, still reeling from the pleasant burn of the flower's touch.

Stumbling to my feet, I turned away, intending to leave the meadow. Yet as I walked my steps seemed to slow on their own accord. It was as if the strange bloom was calling out to me, drawing me back. That desire, it had been frightening and yet somehow invigorating. I knew that Momma wouldn't like that flower, that she would demand I get rid of it. For some reason that only made it harder to walk away. Peeking over my shoulder, I looked back at the alien flower, growing there so innocently. It really was a beautiful thing, perhaps the only one of it's kind in the entire world. I may never get another chance to see it.

Suddenly making my decision, I turned on my heel, running back to the flower. I told myself that I would hide it, that Momma would never need to know I even had it. But that sense of desire, it had done something to me. Something I wanted to try again.

Going up to the flower, I snatched it up, breaking the stem. Heat shot up my arm and my stomach got all pleasantly tight again. Biting my lip, I tried to figure out where to put it so that no one would know what I had found.

The ground trembled beneath my feet. Gasping, I stumbled back, trying to get my balance. The earth shuddered, making me fall down and scrape my knees and the palms of my hands. Before me, where only moments before I had been kneeling beside the white flower, the ground split with a horrible grinding sound. The topsoil fell into the empty void, more and more falling away until the hole had almost reached me. I sat frozen, staring in horror. Then I was running, my limbs clumsy and slow as I tried to get away from the sinkhole.

A wild whinny sounded from behind me. Looking back, I barely believed my eyes. A chariot drawn by four black horses thundered out of the void. The golden harnesses gleamed harshly in the bright sunlight. The horses' forms seemed unsubstantial as they bore down on me, like they were made of smoke instead of flesh. I let out a scream, new terror making me run faster than I ever had before. A wolf could not have caught me.

I could hear the pounding of sixteen hooves and the rattle of chariot wheels behind me. I made a sharp left, dodging like a panicked hare. Hot tears filled my eyes but did not spill over. I ran frantically towards the hill, hearing the chariot skid as it tried to follow my sudden turn. Daring a glance over my shoulder, I watched in agony as the horses closed in. Up on the hillside in front of me was the herd of pigs, their young swineherd still standing on the ridge. He was staring at the chariot in amazement. Desperate, I screamed at him for help right before an arm caught me about the waist, hoisting me off the ground. Shrieking in terror, I kicked at my captor, hitting and clawing at his arm. The burning tears finally spilled over, coursing hot trails down my cheeks.

"Help me!" I wailed, "Somebody please, help me!" The last word was warped by a sob that tore through my chest. We had turned around and I saw the ground yawning open like a grave right before we plunged into darkness, my screams echoing against stone.

The tunnel we traveled through was darker than anything I had ever experienced before. Sometimes the air blowing past was blistering hot and other times bitterly cold. The arm pinning me back against my captor never relented, even through I had clawed it until it was sticky with blood. Something cold and hard was biting into my back like metal. I guessed it was armor, though why this animal had felt the need to arm himself against a defenseless girl was beyond me. He was absolutely silent as he stood behind me. Beyond my own sobs and wind rushing past everything was silent, even the horses and chariot.

After what felt like a thousand miles, the air finally began to lighten. I could make out the walls as they blurred past, and just barely see the backs of the horses.

Suddenly the tunnel was gone and we were on a rise above a sprawling valley shrouded in mist and shadow. I stared out over the vast plain before me, unable to see much besides a few flickering lights and the occasional mountainous spire of rock that connected the floor and ceiling like ginormous pillars. One of these was directly in my line of sight, closer than the others but still nearly two miles away. There were lights clustered around it, and weak as they were I could only be reminded of a village at night, the lamplight shining through the windows of peasant huts.

But directly before me, and what held my attention more than any other aspect of this dismal place was the river of molten fire that snaked it's way past us at the bottom of the hill. My sobs quieted as I looked at the fire, my eyes widening in horror and recognition. A high pitched scream pierced the air, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

"The River Phlegathon." A low voice murmured from right beside me. "Daughter of Demeter, welcome to the Other Side."


	8. Chapter 8

**During some research about the marvelous Land of the Dead, I came across one statement that said that souls came across the River Phlegathon upon entering Erebus and another that said the River Acheron (the river of anger). I'd never heard either one before and though I still like the idea of them crossing the Styx I decided that the good old Phlegathon really deserves more credit, what with it being a river of fire and all. I'm just saying this so people wont freak out when H/P come in from a different direction than usual :)**

Persephone

We slowed to a stop, our chariot facing the fiery river. The man did not speak again.

"Let go of me." I whispered, wondering where I got the courage. The man hesitated.

"You cannot run away. The door is closed."

"Just let go of me." I repeated, unsure of what he meant by 'door'. Glancing behind me I understood. The tunnel we had come through was no longer existent. A solid stone wall had taken it's place.

Slowly, the arm around me loosened, moving behind my waist to grip the chariot rail. "So you don't fall out." He explained. I remained silent, my fingers gripping the railing in front of me. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes, slowly trailing down my face as I stared out over the dusky realm, eyes lingering on the river of fire. The Other Side he had called it. That was just another name for the Underworld, Erebus, the Land of the Dead. And if this was the Underworld, I had a pretty good notion of who my captor was. An involuntary shudder rippled through me and I leaned as far away from him as the close confines of the chariot allowed, my side pressing against the cold metal railing.

He flicked the reigns and the horses began to run again, charging down the hill towards the Phlegathon. I let out a scream, sure that we were about to be burnt to cinders. Instead, the horses continued their pace, racing over the molten river as easily as if it was a paved road. The fire rose around on all sides, the heat as intense as a furnace. The flames licked at the chariot and caught hold of my chiton. I screamed again as the fire raced up the fabric, trying frantically to beat it out before it consumed me.

"Don't." A voice from above me shouted over the roar of the flames. My captor caught both of my hands in one of his, gripping them tightly. "The fire wont harm you. The Phlegathon purifies everything that comes into the Underworld." I watched in horror as the flames ate their way up my dress, biting at my skin. Soon they were in my face, the pain excruciating. My hair began to burn. Panicking, I struggled to get my hands free but the his grip was like iron.

And then it was over. The chariot was pulled out of the river, the heat instantly abating. Gasping for air, I looked down at myself, prepared to see a charred wreckage of a body. Instead there was only my short chiton reaching down to my shins, the skin of my legs and feet completely unharmed. My arms were whole and not even my hair was singed. The man freed my hands so that I could grip the rail, trying to catch my breath after the ordeal.

"Are you all right?" He asked. I looked up at him in amazement. Was he serious? He'd kidnapped me, forced me into a moving chariot, dragged me to the Land of the Dead and across a river of fire. And then he asked if I was alright? I was about to tell him off when I caught my first glimpse of his face.

Well I couldn't really see his face. The darkness cloaked all of the features that weren't already hidden by his warrior's helmet. I could only tell that he was a very tall man and well built. His eyes glittered from behind his helmet like a wolf's at night, appraising me. My heart stuttered, my accusations dying in my throat. Instead I just nodded, fighting back more frightened tears.

We were making our way towards the spire of rock I had seen earlier, the one surrounded by glittering lights. There were other lights scattered about the place, wan, colorless things that they were. The rest of the valley was dark, not the impenetrable blackness of the tunnel, but a sort of fuzzy gray twilight that was nearly as depressing.

Once we came close to one of the tiny flickering lights. Unable to stop myself, I peered into the darkness, half afraid of what I would see.

It was a tree. A real, honest to the gods tree, growing in the middle of the Underworld. It's leaves reminded me of a poplar's and the light was a lamp haphazardly propped up on one of it's exposed roots. A person sat next to it, watching the chariot as it passed. It was a young woman, painfully thin, eyes narrowed balefully as we drove by. Catching me watching her, she leaned back and was absorbed into the tree.

A shriek pierced the air near me, followed immediately by another. Soon the air was filled with screams and crying, making goose flesh rise on my arms. Sometimes I would glimpse a shimmering silver outline of a person out of the corner of my eye, only to have it vanish when I turned my head. Ghosts. I gripped the rail even tighter to keep my trembling hands from slipping.

Just ahead I could see a great stone wall rising high over our heads, it's enormous gates groaning as they slowly opened. Within moments we were on the opposite side of the wall, the screams fading as the gates slammed shut behind us.

* * *

The man drove us down a cobblestone street that led straight to the massive stone spire I had seen earlier. On both sides of the street were magnificent buildings with roof tiles sheathed in gold. Remembering that I had just compared them to peasant huts almost had me fighting back a fit of hysteria.

The entire place was eerily quiet, as dead as any mausoleum. The clatter of hooves and chariot wheels was the only noise. The man in the helmet drove us up to the mountainous rock spire. As we came close I saw that the face of it was carved in a grandiose fashion similar to the graceful splendor of the Olympian temples. As he pulled the chariot to a halt the doors of the place swung open and a swarm of people spilled out.

'Swarm' was a good way to describe the hoard of creatures that advanced towards the chariot. They were horrible looking beings, bent and ugly with gray skin and hands that looked like claws. I cowered away from them, only to bump into my kidnapper. The creatures pressed in close to the chariot, making hissing sounds. They were all looking at me with pupil-less eyes, pointed teeth bared. When one reached for me I didn't think. Letting out a shrill cry, my hand shot out to ward the fiend off. A white light arched out of my palm, striking the hideous thing. It let out a wail and backed away into the crowd. Pandemonium broke out, only to be quickly silenced by a sharp command from the man at my side. A hundred black eyes turned to him.

My captor slowly climbed out of the chariot, his glittering eyes taking in the crowd. They made way for him, warily keeping their distance. He rose head and shoulders over the crowd. A long moment of silence passed and then the man began to speak, his rich voice as quiet as it had been in the chariot but with a note of dominance as he spoke to these, his underlings. He used the same hissing language as the others, making it impossible for me to know what was going on. Taking this opportunity while he back was turned, I desperately searched for some way of escape. There were several shadowy alleyways between the buildings around me and I had a brief hope to slip away, only to have it crushed by the realization that my chances of using the darkness for cover were very slim indeed.

As I debated on what I should do, the dark man stopped talking. He turned back to me, reaching out his hand. I stared at his hand like he was offering me a live scorpion before realizing that he expected me to take it. Gulping, afraid to obey yet terrified not to, I gingerly placed my hand in his, allowing him to help me out of the chariot. The moment my foot touched the earth the creatures around us sank to their knees, their foreheads touching the ground as I passed by. Unnerved, I kept my eye of them, half afraid they would spring up and try to grab me again.

"It's alright. They won't hurt you." The man told me, watching my reaction. Not willing to believe him, I continued to watch for a sudden attack. He led me into the building carved into the mountainside, entering a wide hall filled with torchlight. If I hadn't been so frightened I might have gaped in awe at the vaulted ceiling and painted walls. As it was, I was to afraid to take my eyes off my companion. I wanted to demand why I had been brought here, but my lips would not cooperate. My instincts urged me to pull away from him and flee, but I fought to keep my head. Running would solve nothing now except to anger this stranger, something that I could not afford. No, escape would have to wait.

"Do you know why you are here, Persephone?" He asked. In the torchlight I could see more of him, though the helmet still hid most of his face. I was pulled up short by his question.

"Should I?" My voice was a squeak. I cleared my throat.

"I brought you here to live with me. As my wife. I know-" He interjected, seeing my horrified look. "that we have never met officially. But I went to your father and he gave his consent to our marriage. I'm so sorry about the ordeal you had to go through this afternoon. It was not how I wanted to do things, believe me." I stared at him, my mouth falling open.

"My father told you that you could marry me?" I asked in confusion. He paused, taking in my expression. He had been leading me up a flight of steps and now we were standing on the landing.

"Yes." He said simply, sounding perfectly assured. I felt the blood drain out of my face, leaving it cold and clammy. It was suddenly difficult to breath.

"Persephone?" Concerned, he took a step closer to me, unconsciously reaching for my face. "Are you al-" I slapped his hand away, lurching backwards.

"Don't touch me." I gasped out, raising my hands to stop him. The world was spinning sickeningly, the floor rolling beneath my feet. I stumbled back against the railing, clutching it for support. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him drop his hand to his side.

"Who are you?" I demanded. He didn't answer. I ground my teeth together in frustration. The entire day's events seemed to be crashing down on me, sapping me of strength. My patience was threadbare, my discretion gone. "_Who are you!"_ I shouted, my voice echoing around the empty room.

"You haven't guessed yet?" He wondered, his voice as soft and unperturbed as ever. Raising his hands, he pulled off the black helmet, revealing his face for the first time. My heart stopped.

It was him, the man from the festival. The same man who had stared at me from the shadow of that tent.

"My name is Hades."

* * *

After his revelation, the god of the Underworld had continued leading me to my destination. Climbing the rest of the stairs and going through several dimly lit corridors we finally ended up outside an elaborately carved wooden door. Giving me instructions to go inside and get some rest he told me that I would be presented at court the following evening. To shaken and exhausted to even contemplate his words, I pressed the door open, hoping he wouldn't follow me inside.

For the first time that day my prayers were answered. I stood alone in the center of the chamber, staring at the fine furniture and large bed situated around the room, barely registering it. My mind was blank, my body to worn out to even be very afraid. I knew I was going into shock but it was hard to fight the protective numbness.

Avoiding the comfortable lounges and bed, I walked slowly to the back corner of the room. Passing an end table, I picked up the heavy ornamental jug sitting on it. It wasn't much of a weapon but the solid silver would do some damage if I put enough force behind it. Unsure where that thought even came from, I sank down into the corner, wrapping my arms around my knees, jug within easy reach beside me.

I'm not sure how long I sat there staring off into space. Sometimes I cried. Other times I thought about Momma and what she would think when she found me gone. Had she already noticed my absence? How long had I been away? Time seemed distorted, the hours feeling like seconds, the seconds feeling like centuries. When I had cried out my tears I would grow detached, as if I were watching this happen to someone else. And then there were a few moments when the stars aligned and everything that had happened suddenly made perfect sense.

My father the king had put his hopes into making an alliance with his brother the sea god. When this plan fell through he became desperate, pouring out his wrath to the point of contemplating murder. Yet unbeknownst to him, his other brother, the eldest, had laid eyes on one of Zeus' other daughters, a reasonably pretty and fairly unimportant flower goddess. A girl rarely seen and who would hardly be missed by her distant Baba. So when Hades went to ask for the hand of this girl, rather than being disinclined due to his brother's grim nature and dark moods, the king of the gods had no doubt rejoiced. His empire would survive, for who would dare attack the Father of Gods and Men when he was aligned with He Whose Name Is Dread? He had gotten his marriage alliance after all, just not in the way he had intended.

And what did it matter that the girl given in marriage had no say in any of it? It didn't matter. Not at all.

I wondered if Baba had even thought about me in all this, besides viewing me as a pawn in his elaborate game. How I would feel about marrying a man so much older than me who I'd never even met, and who lived in the most foreboding place in the cosmos. Given my present situation I doubted it.

The door swung open. Grabbing the jug, I rose to my feet, mentally preparing myself to beat to death any person who tried forcing themselves on me. I didn't like my chances of warding off a hardened warrior like Hades, but if I failed at least I would know that I hadn't made it easy for him.

Lucky for me the person who came through the door was not my new husband. She was nothing more than a girl, a short, elfin creature with golden hair. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for something. She looked nervous I noted. At last her eyes landed on me, backed into my corner, silver jug in hand. They widened in alarm and I could only guess what my face looked like. Remembering herself, she quickly ducked a curtsy.

"My Lady. I am here to serve you." She quickly explained. I just stared at her. Uncomfortable, the girl rocked on her heels. Upon closer inspection I noticed that she was older than I had guessed her to be, her age disguised by her tiny stature.

"W-would your ladyship like a bath?" she ventured to ask at last. The idea of being naked in this place ended my silence.

"No. Absolutely not." I snapped. The girl blanched at my tone.

"Apologies Your Highness." She murmured, bowing low.

I was beginning to doubt that this person intended me any harm. She was shaking like a leaf, her golden curls trembling. My hatred slipping away, I suddenly felt bad for being so short with her. Whoever she was, she was as frightened of me as I was of this place.

"No, I'm sorry." I told her, meaning it. Relaxing my rigid posture, I moved away from the wall. "What's your name?" I asked her.

"Daeira, my queen."

"I'm Persephone. And I'm not your queen." Daeira frowned.

"But the king said-"

"My uncle stole me from my home so he could have a body to warm his bed. That doesn't make me a queen." Despite my anger my voice choked towards the end of the sentence. Covering my mouth with my hand I turned away, forcing back the sob. There was no more time for crying. Whatever was coming, I needed to be strong.

"Why are you here Daeira?" I said when I felt somewhat more in control of myself. "Is something happening?" Looking slightly sick from my last statement, Daeira answered,

"I am here to make you feel comfortable my lady. Anything you need or want is your's, you only need ask for it." I smiled wanly.

"Did your master tell you to say that?" I asked. Looking rather uncomfortable, she nodded. "Well unless you know how to wake me up from this nightmare, I'm afraid I don't need or want anything at the moment." I sank down on the edge of the bed, suddenly too tired to stand.

"The king also told me to kindly remind you that you will be appearing at court tomorrow evening." I looked up at her.

"Why?" I asked dully.

"It-It's a special reception. I've never known the king to hold one before. I believe he'll have the nobles of the realm swear allegiance to you as their queen just as they do for him at the Ninth Turning." I had no idea what a Ninth Turning was but didn't bother asking. "It'll be kind of like your wedding but-"

"Scarier?"

"Yes." She agreed. We laughed quietly, the tension easing. I decided that I liked having her near me. It was better than being curled up alone in the corner. Exhaustion weighed me down like iron clothing. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open, yet I was terrified of falling asleep, afraid of what Hades would do if he came in and found me like that. Guessing my thoughts, Daeira spoke up.

"You should get some rest my lady. Tomorrow will be a long day." Biting my lip, I threw an involuntary glance towards the door.

"The king is with his council my lady. He will not come here tonight. Besides, you have not been presented yet. He will not be with as your husband until the realm sees you as his wife, no matter what your father says." She smiled kindly at me. Though her words gave me little comfort I trusted her enough to curl up on the edge of the bed.

"Daeira?" I asked, peeping at her through my eyelashes. Every fiber of my body begged me to succumb to the sleep pulling at me.

"Yes my lady?"

"Could you stay here? And warn me if, you know, if anyone comes in?"

"Of course my lady." She said gently. Wanting to trust her but not altogether sure if I did, I took a chance and allowed myself to fall into a restless doze.


	9. Chapter 9

Demeter

The setting sun lit the world on fire. The orange light burned its way across the Elysian fields, illuminating the barrenness of the shorn earth, reaped of it's bounty. Gazing out over the violently beautiful scene, I was reminded of a different time, when the bronze light shone over blood-soaked earth and the sounds of the dying rose to the heavens.

Now there was only the voices of the laborers as they took leave of the field. Weary but satisfied with the day's harvest, they talked quietly with each other as they prepared for their journey home, their overseer looking on.

Standing near the edge of the field, I stretched out my tired limbs, hearing my bones pop. Oh it was so good to stand upright! Moving among the maidservants, I bent to pick up my discarded shawl. No one paid me any notice. I was invisible to the mortals, my presence only apparent in the joyful atmosphere of the bountiful harvest.

There was one young woman standing near me whose tangled curls and doe eyes reminded me of my daughter. She was wrapping her own shawl around her shoulders to ward off the evening chill. A young man came up behind her and flung the corner of his thick wool cloak over her narrow shoulders. Starting in surprise, the girl looked up at the youth. She smiled in recognition, a faint flush spreading across her cheekbones. He laughed and the two began walking away, their dark heads bent close together in private conversation. I shook my head a bit wistfully. Ah, was there anything more wonderful than to be young and in love?

Heading in the opposite direction of the couple, I closed my eyes, wishing for home. I longed to see my Little Kore. I had a gift for her, something I had purchased that afternoon from a funny little man with a donkey loaded with baskets full of trinkets.

Smiling, I patted the fold of my chiton where the tiny figurine was hidden. It wasn't much of anything, but I knew Persephone would love it.

Thinking about her, I fixed my eyes on the space directly in front of me and focused my thoughts. Magic rose out of the ground like evening mist, wrapping around me. Everything faded to gray and then I was standing in the middle of camp. The nymphs were preparing for the evening meal, scurrying to and fro like bees in a hive. Several greeted me with warm smiles as they continued on their way.

I smiled back, searching for that one dark head in the crowd.

"Aspasia, do you know where Lady Persephone is?" I asked a passing dryad with several twigs caught in her reddish hair.

"No milady." She said.

"Oh, alright." I said, slightly disappointed. "Thank you Aspasia. I'd better let you get that to the fire." I said, nodding to the bundle of dry branches she was carrying. Bobbing a curtsy, she hurried to obey. I stopped the next girl.

"Euthalia, have you seen my daughter?"

"No ma'am." And the next.

"Iliona-"

"I haven't seen Lady Persephone milady" Walking through the clearing I received the same answer from everyone I asked. Frowning to myself, I went to our tent, peering into the darkness to see if she was within. Nothing. She must still be out.

That was unusual. Most of the time Persephone came home before sundown. Searching the clearing again for her, I spotted someone else, a naiad called Cyane who I had sent out with Persephone that morning.

"Cyane!" I called, beckoning her over to me. "Where is Lady Persephone? I have something for her." Cyane looked up at me with uncomprehending blue eyes. Then my words seemed to sink in.

"Lady Persephone?" She asked, sounding slightly dazed. The first tiny flicker of fear touched me then, like the first pebble of a rock slide. I took a step closer to her, staring hard at her blandly pretty features.

"Yes," I said, a hint of ice in my tone. "My daughter, Lady Persephone. I seem to recall sending you and two others out with her this morning. I'd like to know where she is now if you would be so kind as to tell me."

Cyane's eyes opened even farther, and she took an involuntary step backwards. "I-I'm not sure where she is, Your Highness."

"Didn't she come back to camp with you?" She hesitated.

"Where did you leave her?" I demanded, taking another step closer to her so that we stood eye to eye. Alarm buzzed through me, almost throwing me into a panic. I fought for control, telling myself that Persephone was alright, even if she was off by herself. There was no reason to go into hysterics over something as small as this.

A voice in the back of my head whispered that perhaps there was a _very_ good reason, but I fought it back. I also fought back the urge to grip Cyane by the front of her dress and shake her until her teeth rattled.

"I-" Her eyes were full of fear as she took in my expression. "We were all out with her ladyship when she just...left. One minute she was with us and the next she was gone. Aaah!" She squealed as I took another step towards her, raising her hands in front of her face as if she thought I might slap her.

"And did you bother looking for her?" I demanded. Several of the others stopped in their tracks at the sound of my voice. Cyane had gone very pale.

"Of course milady! But we didn't find Lady Persephone anywhere! We thought she had gone to find you, that's what she usually does when she disappears." That pulled me up short.

"This has happened _before?_" I shouted, barely able to believe it. The whole clearing went silent around us. Cyane looked like she wanted to swallow her tongue. I gaped at her in furious amazement. All this time I had been confident in the virtue and loyalty - if not intelligence- of my maidservants, only to find out that they left my only child to her own devices on a regular basis! I was so angry I could spit. But I put that aside for the moment. There were more important things to worry about, the whereabouts of my daughter for one.

"All of you, listen to me." I said loudly, looking around the clearing. All eyes were fastened on me. "Persephone does not seem to be in the camp. I want all of you out looking for her. Dinner can wait. Isadora, you come with me." And with that I turned away and hurried out into the fading light of dusk.

* * *

Panic didn't fully set in for another half hour. I kept climbing over the rocky hills of Nysa, calling out for Persephone, Isadora doing the same a hundred yards to my left. I told myself that she had wandered farther than usual, had gotten lost, had fallen asleep in the sunshine. None of those were especially uncommon for Persephone. She could get so wrapped up in her imagination that she didn't pay attention to the world around her.

But as the last of the daylight bled out of the sky and twilight descended, it became harder and harder to believe that she had simply lost track of time. In the growing darkness, the worries nagging at the edges of my mind invaded the heart of it. Images of my daughter being attacked by satyrs, captured by a river god, or seduced by a godling bombarded me mercilessly. I felt like a walled city under siege, just a few stones away from destruction.

At last I couldn't take it anymore. I broke into a run, racing over the loose stones and grass slick with dew. I screamed her name as loud as I could, my lungs burning for air.

"_Persephone!_ Persephone where are you!"

Somewhere behind me I could hear Isadora calling after me but I ignored her. How could she be concerned for me when Persephone was missing? Didn't she know what might have happened? What men were capable of? All reasonable thought fled my mind. The city's walls had finally broken and now the waves of panic were rushing in.

The night was a dark one, the moon barely a sliver in the western sky. I fell often in my haste, scraping my arms and legs, tearing my dress. When I tripped down into a gully, I had to bite back a scream as I felt my ankle give way beneath me. Dots danced before my eyes, colorful in the darkness.

Pressing my palm against my ankle, I willed it to heal. Heat washed up and down my lower leg as the magic worked. Healing had never been my strong suit though, and despite my need for action, I knew that it would be several moments before I would be ready to run again. Chest heaving from exertion, I used my free hand to search the surrounding area for a dry branch. It took several moments, and I had to crawl a few feet, but at last I managed to find one. Focusing on the end of it, I willed it to light. The makeshift torch burst into flame, making me wince, my eyes smarting from the sudden brilliance.

A few minutes later I felt strong enough to stand, and I continued my search with as much abandon as before.

We looked for her all night. My urgency never diminished but after several hours my hope was beginning to fade. Every once in a while I would return to camp to see if Persephone had found her way back, only to find that she had not.

I prayed. I prayed the way only a mother in my situation could pray. I begged and pleaded and made promises to every person I could think of. The Moirae, Mother Rhea, even Nyx the goddess of Night and Artemis heard from me that night. I sent word to Olympus, begging my brother for assistance. The last gave me more hope than the others. Zeus would be distressed when he heard that Persephone was missing. He had always been so pleased by her and she was his eldest child, his first born. I imagined that he would send out every scout in his household to find her. Together we would scour the earth for our daughter.

Morning came. The crescent moon had dipped over the western horizon long ago and the first rays of dawn turned the blackness to pearly gray. Still there was no sign of Persephone.

Exhausted, I staggered up a craggy slope, tearing the hem of my chiton on one of the sharp boulders and scraping my palms as I tripped yet again. Not feeling the pain, I mechanically pushed myself upright. I forced my weary limbs to keep going until I reached the summit overlooking a valley.

Swaying on my feet, I scanned the valley for any sign of her. There was a meadow at the bottom of the hill, the edges rimmed with trees and a large rock towards the center. Wildflowers filled the meadow, their blossoms tightly closed against the early morning chill. I wondered if they somehow knew what had happened to their mistress and were hiding from the knowledge that she was gone.

Sinking to my knees, I finally allowed myself to break down. The tears flowed unhindered down my face while violent sobs wracked my body. I cried for my daughter, my sweet, gentle little Kore, who might at that moment be facing something worse than death. I screamed out my pain to the dawn, trying to form the words to pray.

"Please," I choked out, not even knowing to whom I spoke. "Please, just bring her back." I covered my head with my hands, curling in on myself as grief ripped a hole through my chest. "Persephone," I moaned into the dust, "Please, Persephone, come back to me baby. Just come back to me." Unable to do anything else, I wept uncontrollably as the pain gripped me in it's talons.

* * *

It was hours later when I felt the gentle hand on my shoulder.

Hope exploded in my chest and I turned, expecting to see Persephone leaning over me, her hair messy and her lovely smile lighting up her face. Instead there was Zeus, crystal eyes filled with concern as he looked down at me.

"Zeus!" I exclaimed, hope and disappointment warring within me.

"Demeter, you should go home now. You need to rest." I barely heard him.

"Zeus, Zeus she's gone. Our daughter..."

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm here."

"You'll help me find her?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I've even brought people with me. Ares, Apollo, Artemis, Athena. They're all here to help us find her."

"And have they found anything yet?" I asked breathlessly. My voice sounded terrible and I could just imagine what my face looked like. My eyes felt swollen, and it was difficult to open them all the way. I was less surprised than grieved when he shook his head no.

"There doesn't seem to be much of a trail as of yet, but they'll keep looking. You should get some sleep Demeter. You'll get sick if you keep this up." He sat next to me, pulling me close. I turned my head into his shoulder, feeling him breathe. He smelled just the same as he had all those years ago, like snow and clean mountain air. For a split second I almost forgot my worries. Zeus was here to help, and if there was one thing I knew about my brother, it was that Zeus always won.

"Let me take you home." He murmured into my hair. I shook my head, fighting off the exhaustion. Persephone needed me.

"No, I have to keep looking." Maybe Zeus always won but he rarely did it alone. And I couldn't go home without Persephone.

"Really Demeter-"

"No." I said firmly. I struggled to my feet, forcing myself away from him. Standing up, I looked back over the meadow below me. Now that it was lighter, I saw that it was only half filled with flowers. Persephone had been here, but had left before she had finished her task. An excellent place to start.

"I'm fine Zeus. I can't just sit quietly while Persephone may be in danger. I should not have wept so. It was a waste of time." I moved to go down the hill, but he caught hold of the hem of my dress.

"My lady," He whispered. A small part of me hesitated when I saw him pleading with me. It was so hard to say no to Zeus, especially when he was worried about me. But I could not compromise on this.

"I can't abandon my daughter. Not for a moment. She is out there somewhere and I will not rest until she is safely home." There was steel in my voice that surprised us both, an icy determination that must have been born during my hysteria. I pulled away from his hand. He let me go, getting to his feet to follow after me.

"But you will need some warmer clothing Sister." He said at last. "Can't you feel the cold?" I paused for a moment, noticing for the first time the decided nip in the air. Glancing around me, I saw with some surprise that the grass had faded to brown, the closed flowers shriveled on to husks. Bleak understanding dawned on me. I continued walking.

"It does not bother me." I told him. "I welcome it. I _demand_ it. My little girl is missing Zeus. _Persephone is gone!_

"Tell me, how can the earth prosper when the heart of it's goddess is as barren and cold as this field?" I turned back to face him, my voice rising.

"Now I say this: let nothing grow up from this ground as long as Persephone is away from me! Let everything be turned to ice and ashes until she is by my side again!" Zeus stilled, his face growing pale. Turning my back to him once more, I came into the meadow. Kneeling in the dry grass, I reached out to touch one of the dead flowers. Snapping the dry stem, I brought the wilted thing close to my face. Studying it, it was a moment before I realized that it was a morning glory. Seeing it was like a knife to the chest. Closing my eyes, I waited for the pain to abate so I could continue on. I felt his eyes upon me.

"You do not mean that Demeter. You are not thinking clearly or you would never have said it." It sounded like he was trying to convince himself of his own words.

I shook my head. My heart was pounding with my new found determination. "Perhaps I would not have said it yesterday. As it is now however, I have no time to spend tending the earth. Let the earth tend to itself! I have a daughter to find, and when I discover who took her from me, it will be better for that man to throw himself headlong into the Pit than face what's coming for him."


End file.
